Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) was prepared by solution polymerization of vinyl acetate. PVOH nanofibers were produced by electrospinning in aqueous solution of 12.4% w/v with and without 1% v/v of aluminum chloride. The nanofiber morphology was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The degree of cristallinity was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle x ray diffraction (WAXD). The effects of electric voltage and the addition of aluminum chloride were verified on the morphology and average fiber diameter. The results showed that the PVOH nanofibers without aluminum chloride had diameters higher than the nanofibers prepared with the salt due to the different electrical conductivity of the solutions. A decrease of 140 nm on the average diameter fibers was observed when the voltage varied from 15 to 18 kV. The nanofibers crystallinity with and without salt was lower than the isotropic PVOH.
Electrospinning; poly (vinyl alcohol); nanofibers
