Image Analysis for Measuring Electrospun Nanofiber Diameters

Nanofibers are ultra-fine fibers notable for their very small diameters, high surface area per unit mass and their ability to form webs with extremely small pore sizes. Electrospinning is a straightforward method for producing nanofibers. In this process, a charged polymer jet as a result of a high electric field is ejected from a syringe containing polymer solution. The jet is elongated during its passage to the target and this process is accompanied by the rapid evaporation of the solvent. Finally, the dried fibers accumulate on the surface of the collector, resulting in a nonwoven random fiber web with nanometer diameter scale [1].Fiber diameter is one of the most important structural characteristics influencing properties of electrospun nanofiber webs. Routine measurement of fiber diameters and its distribution is carried out by manual method which involves a tedious and time-consuming procedure and cannot be used as an on-line method for quality control since an operator is needed for performing the measurements. Automating the fiber diameter measurement thereby eliminating the use of the human operator is a natural solution to this problem. To date there has been no successful method developed for the automated measuring of electrospun nanofiber diameters which has hindered the uptake of this process for large-scale production. The objective of this investigation is to use image analysis for measuring electrospun nanofiber diameters