Surface response analysis of electrospun nanofiber beads

The research presented in this document is focused on using the surface response method to analyze the nanofiber beads Polyethylene Oxide (PEO) synthesized by electrospinning. The process was characterized in detail by using experimental design to clearly define the parameters and variables that affect the nanofibers diameter. The objective was to obtain maximum control over the variables and parameters that govern the process and compare the different structural configurations while looking at the changes in the morphology and structure of the beads and nanofibers. We developed a modified surface response methodology that allowed making generalizations of numerical models of complex systems at the nanoscale. This method is flexible and can be applied to a wide range of nanoscale domain problems.;Two mathematical expressions were developed Df=0.21+0.041V+ 0.023d+0.073Q+0.004V˙d+0.009V˙Q-0.008d˙Q-0.04V˙ d˙Q DB=0.66-0.184V- 0.017d-0.017Q-0.043V˙d+0.032V˙Q-0.036d˙Q+0.041V˙ d˙Q These two models described the diameter of the fibers (Df) and beads (DB) produced in the electrospinning process when varying the values for the voltage (V), point plate distance (d) and volumetric flux (Q) variables. Using this system we can translate the modeling factors and their relationship with performance into meaningful implications for decision making and operational procedure for the electrospinning process. By comparing our analytic model with the experimental results, we can affirm that our model has an approximation to the experimental values; the standard deviation was of 0.016.;The results obtained from this research could serve as the groundwork for the development of a nanofiber manipulation technique.