Micro- and Nanofiber Technologies: Principles, Preparation Methods, and Characterization

Abstract

The special geometrical and chemical properties of micro- and nanofibers lead to a structured arrangement of materials, resulting in better functioning during filtration, separation, adsorption, catalysis, and sensing. It presents an overview of different basic principles of micro- and nanofiber production. It gives comparative analysis of the methods employed including electrospinning, self-assembly, phase separation, template synthesis, drawing, centrifugal spinning, solution spinning, and melt spinning, discussing their influence on fibers morphology and their scale-up. The chapter introduces the main methods of characterization such as microscopy, image-based diameter analysis, spectroscopy, and diffraction. Moreover, it illustrates the importance of thermal analysis, mechanical tests, wettability testing in terms of its importance for fiber production. It also relates the impact of sustainability on microfiber technology development, outlining the key aspects such as solvent choice and recovery, energy efficiency, extent of throughput, green precursors, and recycling of fiber membranes.