Abstract
Melt spinning of polypropylene nonwoven nanofiber mats is demonstrated using Forcespinning. The effects of rotational speed and melt flow rate of polymer on fiber diameter were studied. It was observed that melt flow rate of the polymer plays a major role in nanofiber formation and uniformity. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-Ray Diffraction analysis indicate that the crystallinity of nanofibers was decreased when compared to bulk polypropylene and the appearance of an oriented meso-phase (β phase) became evident with nanofiber development. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that melt spinning of polypropylene using the Forcespinning method did not cause molecular degradation of the polymer.
