Temperature Effect on the Mechanical Properties of Electrospun PU Nanofibers

Abstract

Polyurethane (PU) nanofibers were prepared from electrospun method. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to characterize the mechanical properties of electrospun PU nanofibers. The impact of temperature on the mechanical behavior of PU nanofibers was studied using three-point bending test based on AFM. A Young’s modulus of ~ 25 GPa was obtained for PU nanofibers with diameter at ~ 150 nm at room temperature. With decrease in nanofiber’s diameter, the increasing Young’s modulus can be due to the surface tension effect. The Young’s modulus of the PU nanofiber decreased linearly while the fibrous morphology was maintained with the increase of temperature.