Е-Публикации
Технически университет - София

Abstract: Electrospinning was used to produce nanofibrous mats from 9 wt% aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA; Mw = 72,000 g/mol, degree of hydrolysis 97.5–99.5%) solutions containing 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, and 9 wt% beeswax (BW) as a natural hydrophobic additive. The effects of BW content on solution viscosity, electrical conductivity, and the kinetics of nanofiber mass and thickness accumulation were systematically investigated. Increasing BW concentration progressively reduced electrical conductivity due to its hydrophobic and non-conductive nature, while viscosity remained largely unaffected. The highest mass deposition rate was observed at 3 wt% BW, whereas maximum layer thickness and uniform growth were achieved at 5 wt% BW. These results demonstrate that moderate BW addition can improve deposition stability in electrospinning of PVA, providing a potential route to functional nanofibrous materials for filtration, protective textiles, and related applications.

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