INFLUENCE OF ACETIC ACID CONCENTRATION ON THE FABRICATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PVA NANOFIBERS
This article reports about investigation of the effects of acetic acid concentration on the rheological properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solutions and their forming nanofiber ability. A study of the properties of aqueous solutions containing 12 wt.% PVA and acetic acid at various concentrations showed that an increase in the concentration of acetic acid decreases the electrical conductivity of the solution and increases the viscosity of the polymer solution. The use of acetic acid increases the productivity of nanofiber formation and improves the morphology of nanofibers compared to the yield of nanofibers from aqueous solutions of PVA. The concentration of acetic acid should be maintained at 30 wt.% . The fibers obtained from a 30 wt.% solution of PVA and acetic acid have a size from 279 nm to 631 nm, and the diameter distribution is about 343 nm, while the diameter of nanofibers obtained from an aqueous solution ranges from 228 nm up to 909 nm and their average diameter is 462 nm.