Characteristics and challenges of Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) solution electrospinning

Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PEVA) is a versatile elastic, durable and biocompatible copolymer, which can be processed by melt extrusion or solvent casting, while electrospinning has been reported as challenging. Here, a spinnability window should be identified using a total of 10 different PEVA materials with increasing vinyl acetate content (~12 – 40 wt.%) and molecular weights (~60-130 kDa). Based on solubility predictions by calculating Hansen solubility parameters, candidate solvents were experimentally evaluated. Spinning experiments with systematic alteration of solution composition and processing parameters revealed the causes of material deposition at the spraying nozzle and multi-jet spinning characteristics. By introducing a spinnability score that accounts for product characteristics and reproducibility, the spinnability of PEVA could be rationalized. Overall, it was demonstrated that PEVA solutions with an apparent viscosity of 920-3500 mPa·s can be spun to bead-free fibers of ~10 µm. This size may allow suspension electrospinning to composite fibers in the future.