Preparation and Characterization of Electrospun Nutraceptic Nanofibers from Polyvinyl Alcohol/Beeswax

In the article, it is proposed that the electrospinning process be performed with three different polymer solutions: a 9% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution, PVA with an additive of natural beeswax, and PVA with an additive of natural and polyethylene wax. The electrospinning process is realized with an electrospinning chamber developed at the TU of Sofia. For the three spinning solutions, the change in dry matter, viscosity, and electrical conductivity was evaluated, which are directly related to the electrospinning process. The average diameters of the produced bicomponent fibers were in the range of 320-420 nm. The presented SEM images of the obtained nanomats confirm that the wax additives have an influence on the electrospinning and, accordingly, on the nanofibers diameter. The area and thickness of the nanomats obtained with the addition of beeswax were evaluated. The addition of natural beeswax has been shown to increase the area of the nanomat by 16%.