The Effects of Electric Field on the Multijet Electrospinning Process and Fiber Morphology

Single-needle systems have been used in electrospinning experimental research; however, the low fluid throughput in fiber production has industrial limitations. To meet a high liquid-throughput requirement, several multijet schemes have recently been tested. The main drawback of these schemes is the deterioration of the local electric field at the needle tip due to the influence of other needles in the arrangement. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of the orientation of the needles on the electric-field distribution and, hence, on the electrospun jet characteristics and fiber morphology. Experimentally, such effects are demonstrated through the use of a polyethylene oxide solution. Further, the electric-field distribution in multineedle arrangements is simulated by using finite-element-method analysis.