Application of melt-blown technology in the manufacturing of a solvent vapor-sensitive, non-woven fabric composed of poly(lactic acid) loaded with multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We evaluated a solvent vapor-sensitive, non-woven fabric made from a biodegradable, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymer loaded with multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The sensory properties of the fabric were obtained by optimizing the process parameters for manufacturing the melt-blown, non-woven fabric composed of 98% PLA 4060D (Nature Works) and 2% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Nanocyl®). The diffusion of polar and non-polar solvent molecules influenced the electron flow between the separated carbon nanotubes in percolation paths built into the PLA, resulting in an increase of the resistance of the melt-blown, non-woven fabrics. The statistically significant differences between the mean values of electrical resistance before and after the influence of the tested solvent vapors were achieved for the non-woven fabrics manufactured at high air velocity and low extruder screw speed, taking the values of 30 m3/h and 20 rpm, respectively. The results obtained for the non-woven fabric manufactured in the optimal conditions show that methanol vapor response has the lowest amplitude of 15%, whereas for benzene, acetone and toluene sensitivity reaches values of 60%, 40%, and 35%, respectively. The values of the relative resistance amplitude correspond with Flory–Huggins interaction parameters κPLA\benzene < κPLA\acetone < κPLA\toluene < κPLA\methanol.

PLA/PHA-Biodegradable Blends for Pneumothermic Fabrication of Nonwovens

“…Products made of short fibres or microfibres are obtained in this way. Additionally, as demonstrated by previous studies, the device makes it possible to process various types of thermoplastic polymers, which was confirmed [26,27]. …”

Biofunctionalization of Textile Materials. 2. Antimicrobial Modification of Poly(lactide) (PLA) Nonwoven Fabricsby Fosfomycin

“…Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) presents the routine technique for morphological investigations of polylactide nonwovens, both electrospin PLA [66][67][68][69][70][71] as well as melt-blown PLA [72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] fibers. Scanning electron microscopy spectra of polylactide nonwoven and polylactide nonwoven coated with Fosfomycin modifier are presented in Figures 2 and 3, respectively.…”

Investigation of the Influence of PLA Molecular and Supramolecular Structure on the Kinetics of Thermal-Supported Hydrolytic Degradation of Wet Spinning Fibres

“…According to the physical and chemical properties, PLA is a promising alternative to petroleum-based polymers from the application point of view. PLA can be used to form foams [4,5], films [6], fibres [7][8][9] and nonwovens [10,11] designed for many different applications, from medical [12,13] to agricultural [14,15] use.…”