Nanofiber coated hybrid yarn fabricated by novel electrospinning-airflow twisting method

The present paper proposes a new method for the preparation of nanofiber coated hybrid yarns. This method requires designing a multi-nozzle jet electrospinning device based on the principle of bubble bursts forming multiple jets to significantly increase the production of nanofibers and to obtain nanofiber bundles based on the principle of conjugated electrospinning. The design allows continuous nanofiber coated hybrid yarns to be obtained through the twisting of a three-dimensional (3D) high-velocity rotational airflow. The mechanism for the formation and bundling of nanofibers was studied, and the airflow field within the nozzle-twisting device was numerically simulated. The airflow forms a 3D high-velocity rotational airflow after it is injected into the twisting chamber from the jet orifice, and takes on the characteristics of a vortex flow. Under the effect of this vortex flow, the nanofibers are evenly twisted around the filament yarn and coated onto its surface, with the fibers oriented in the same direction as the twist direction. This airflow twisting process significantly improves the mechanical properties of the nanofiber hybrid yarn.