Diameter optimization of polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate fiber membranes using response surface methodology

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) solution was electrospun to form fiber membranes. PVA/SA fiber membranes were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermal Gravimetric analysis (TGA). The hydrogen-bonding interaction between PVA and SA were demonstrated by FTIR, XRD, DSC. The preparation of fibers during electrospinning process involved various parameters such as SA content, electric voltage, receiving distance and the nozzle velocity that were optimized via Box-Behnken design (BBD) method. The findings revealed that the SA content had a major effect on the diameter of the fibers made, achieving a minimum fiber diameter of 242.12 nm under optimum production conditions. The effect of various PVA/SA contents on diameter, morphology, mechanical property, and liquid absorption property of the membranes were studied via scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, mechanical measurement and contact angle testing. The optimal physical properties of PVA/SA fiber membrane at 7:3 proportion were verified, which was close to the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) result.