Macromolecular Engineering of Spinnability

Spinnability refers to a heuristic property associated with the possibility of making fibers using polymer solutions and melts. The long-standing challenge for fiber engineering is to correlate spinnability to macromolecular concentration and molecular weight, solvent properties like viscosity, surface tension, and volatility, and processing conditions. In this contribution, we explore spinnability of various polymer solutions using centrifugal force spinning, and seek a better understanding of how shear and extensional rheology response and polymer or solvent choice influence fiber morphology, properties, and applications.