spinnability

Spinnability is the ability of a material, typically a polymer in melt or solution form, to be drawn into continuous fibers through a spinneret. It is a key concept in polymer processing and textile engineering, affecting the feasibility and quality of fiber production across spinning techniques such as melt spinning, solution wet spinning, dry spinning, and electrospinning.

Factors that influence spinnability include molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, degree of entanglement, chain stiffness, crystallinity, and solvent quality. For solution spinning, viscosity, surface tension, polymer concentration, and coagulation kinetics determine jet stability and filament formation. For melt spinning, viscosity, melting temperature, and the presence of fillers or additives modulate processability. In electrospinning, solution conductivity, surface tension, and viscosity at a given concentration govern jet formation and fiber morphology.

Spinnability is typically assessed by observing the ability to produce continuous filaments with uniform diameter and acceptable mechanical properties, as well as by rheological measurements such as zero-shear viscosity, viscoelastic moduli, and flow behavior under shear. Process windows—ranges of temperature, concentration, and draw ratios that yield stable fibers—are established to optimize outcomes.

Applications include traditional textile fibers (polyesters, nylons), high-performance and specialty fibers (aramids, carbon fibers precursors), and nonwoven or nanofiber materials for filtration, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Researchers design polymers and spinning conditions to maximize spinnability while balancing material performance, cost, and environmental considerations.