Polymeric Nanofibres as a Scaffold for Nanoporous Metal Foams (NMFs) Production

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Currently, the compact and large surface-area properties of nanoporous metal foams (NMFs) allow for its use in various applications such as electrodes, sensors, and filters. With the market demanding electronic devices to continue to decrease in size while increasing in performance, the ultra-compact batteries powering them will see electrodes made of NMFs as an essential component. To manufacture NMFs, a polymer scaffold, such as a sponge, is often used as the starting material. There are applications that require maximum surface area, with target pore sizes of the scaffold to be between 5 and 20µm so that the final metallic void can reach a diameter ranging from less than 3nm to 1µm. Polymer foam scaffold manufactured through conventional production methods cannot create such fine pores. A promising technology called electrospinning has the ability to produce uniform nanoporous polymer structures for the subsequent production of NMFs. Electrospinning involves the pinpoint extrusion of the polymer in a solvent-gel phase via a syringe pump through a high voltage static field until it coalesces on a collector plate. A high-voltage power supply is connected to both the tip of the needle and to the collector plate, which creates the electrostatic field. A polymer stream within this field will be subjected to electrostatic forces, causing it to spin and elongate until it reaches the collector. This process also causes the solvent to evaporate, leaving on the collector plate a polymer mat with unique interstitial properties, and an excellent scaffold material for NMFs.This proposed project involves the fabrication and assembly of pilot electrospinning equipment at Sheridan College and construction of shielding for its safe operation. With the equipment in place, various polymers will be electrospun and their mechanical properties tested and compared to incumbent scaffolds used by industry partner Cnem Corporation. The company aims to produce NMF prototypes using the project's most successfully-spun polymer scaffolds.