Modelling of mechanical properties of electrospun nanofibre network

Electrospun nanofibres are widely investigated as extra-cellular matrix for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. Little is understood on the deformation mechanics of spun fibre mats. A model is developed to predict the deformation behaviour of randomly-oriented electrospun nanofibre network/mats with the fibre-fibre fusion and van der Waals interaction. The nanofibres in the mat are represented by chains of beads; the interactions between the beads are described by bonded (stretch, bending and torsion) and non-bonded (van der Waals) potentials. Stress-strain curves and dynamics fracture are predicted by this model. The results show that the fibre-fibre fusion has a significant effect on the tensile strength of the mats. Increasing the number of fusion points in the mat results in an increase in strength, but over-fusion may lead to lower fracture energy. The predicted stress-strain relationships are consistent with the experimental results.