Scaling analysis for electrospinning.

Electrospinning refers to the process of generating nanofibers from electrified viscous polymeric jets. Though relatively easy to perform, this process is quite complex in its nature, given the large number of parameters that are involved. This study attempts to derive a relation between the final fiber diameter and the major process parameters. Two new dimensionless numbers describing viscous and surface charge repulsion effects are identified from the scaling analysis of governing equation for the motion of a bent jet. Experimental data for a wide range of polymer solutions exhibit a common slope, when expressed in terms of these new dimensionless numbers. This correlation is used to derive a new scaling expression for the final fiber diameter.