Original Contribution to the Development of a Predictive Model for the Electrospinning of Viscoelastic Polymer Solutions for the Production of Nanofibre Membranes for Nigerian Industrial Filtration Applications

Electrospinning of viscoelastic polymer solutions is a process of growing industrial importance for nanofibre membrane production, yet a comprehensive predictive model that integrates solution viscoelasticity, operating parameters, and resulting fibre morphology with quantitative accuracy remains unavailable for practical industrial process design. This research makes an original contribution to electrospinning process modelling by developing a predictive framework for nanofibre morphology from viscoelastic polymer solutions, validated for industrial filtration membrane production applications at a nascent nanofibre manufacturing facility in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. The theoretical framework extends the slender body approximation of jet thinning with non-Newtonian Oldroyd-B viscoelastic constitutive equations, coupled with electrostatic force, surface tension, and solvent evaporation models. Solution viscoelastic properties including relaxation time, extensional viscosity, and surface tension were experimentally characterised as functions of polymer concentration for polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polyurethane in relevant solvent systems. High-speed camera imaging of the Taylor cone and jet trajectory provided experimental data for model validation at varying applied voltage, flow rate, and tip-to-collector distance. Nanofibre diameter distribution, bead formation propensity, and membrane basis weight uniformity were measured as morphology outcome variables. Particle filtration efficiency and pressure drop were measured as functional performance outputs. Results demonstrate that the viscoelastic model predicted mean fibre diameter within 14 percent error and correctly predicted bead formation threshold with 89 percent classification accuracy across 124 experimental conditions. Applied voltage and polymer concentration were identified as the most influential parameters for diameter control. Optimal process windows for producing filtration membranes with mean fibre diameters of 200 to 500 nm at commercially relevant production rates were identified. The research provides the first comprehensive validated electrospinning process model for viscoelastic solutions applicable to industrial nanofibre membrane production in Nigeria. Keywords: electrospinning, viscoelastic polymer solution, nanofibre membrane, predictive model, industrial filtration