Effect of Polymer Hardness and Clay Loadings on Electrospun Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Modified Montmorillonite Clay Fibers

Electrospun fibers can meet the stringent requirements of high-end filtration devices, however, the fabrication of electrospun fibers with controlled distribution and pore size remains a challenge.  In this work, an electrospinning method was utilized to produce the non-woven fiber mats of thermoplastic elastomer (TPU)/clay nanocomposites.  The effect of TPU hardness and clay loading on nanocomposite fiber distribution and pore size was investigated.  It was shown that sufficient solvent intercalation of nanoclay effected the morphology of the electrospun fiber mats and led to improved mechanical properties.  The addition of 0.5 wt% clay to a TPU with a Shore hardness of 65A produced the narrowest fiber distribution, smallest pore size, and improved tensile properties.