Fiber diameter of polybutylene terephthalate melt-blown nonwovens

A polymer air-drawing model of Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) melt-blown nonwovens has been established. The predicted fiber diameter coincides with the experimental data. The effects of the processing parameters on the fiber diameter have been investigated. A lower polymer flow rate, a higher initial air velocity, and a larger die-to-collector distance can all produce finer fibers, whereas too high an initial air velocity and too large a die-to-collector distance contribute little to the polymer drawing of PBT melt-blown nonwovens. The results show the great potential of this research for the computer-assisted design of meltblowing technology.