Article Title

Design of an Affordable Rotating Drum Electrospinner for Classroom Education

Authors

Peder Solberg, South Dakota State UniversityFollow

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Anamika Prasad, Ph.D.

Abstract

Electrospinning is a technology used to generate small fibers down to nano-scale size. This method of fiber creation has been around for many years. However, in recent years electrospinning has found increased applications, especially in the area of tissue engineering due to its ability to create fibers with properties similar to the extracellular matrix in tissue. An electrospinning platform can illustrate concepts of engineering, electro-mechanical system design, manufacturing, and biomedical applications in one single package. Hence, it provides an excellent opportunity to integrate into secondary (middle and high school) and post-secondary (undergraduate) technology education.

Furthermore, just as integration of 3D printing technology education in high schools and engineering education curricula has expedited the development and implementation of that technology, the same benefits can be achieved for electrospinning technology. As more students are exposed to the technology, application of electrospinning to create solutions for healthcare and medical device design will only increase with time. With the above broader objectives in mind, the goal of this project was to create a low-cost electrospinner in an affordable and compact platform for classroom education. The paper presents the development of the platform and demonstrates its application to middle-school students.

Recommended Citation

Solberg, Peder (2020) "Design of an Affordable Rotating Drum Electrospinner for Classroom Education," The Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 17, Article 5.
Available at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/jur/vol17/iss1/5