Method for collecting a nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fiber web

A method for collecting a nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fiber web (110) from an electrospinning enclosure (300) of a needleless electrospinning apparatus (100) comprising a continuous wire drive system (600), the electrospinning apparatus (100) comprising an electrospinning enclosure (300) and within which a nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fiber web (110) is formed onto a substrate (120) from a liquid polymer layer coated onto a plurality of continuous electrode wires (1000) passing through the electrospinning enclosure (300),

• the continuous wire drive system (600) comprising a master wire drive drum (610) and a slave wire drive drum (620), each of the master wire drive drum (610) and slave wire drive drum (620) comprising a plurality of wire guides (670), each of the wire guides comprising a channel or groove for receiving one of the plurality of continuous electrode wires (1000),
• wherein the continuous wire drive system is external to the electrospinning apparatus (100), and the continuous wire drive system (600) drives the plurality of continuous electrode wires (1000) through the electrospinning enclosure (300);
• wherein the electrospinning enclosure (300) comprises an electrospinning zone (Z), the method comprising:
• unrolling the substrate (120) from a substrate supply roller (200);
• tensioning the substrate (120) with a substrate tensioner (130);
• driving the substrate (120) through the electrospinning enclosure (300) and electrospinning zone (Z) substantially parallel to the plurality of continuous electrode wires (1000) having the liquid polymer layer coated thereon;
• electrospinning nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fibers from the liquid polymer layer coated onto the plurality of continuous electrode wires (1000) in the electrospinning zone (Z);
• collecting the nanoscale or submicron scale polymer fibers on the substrate (120) as a polymer fiber web (110);
• and
• driving the polymer fiber web (110) and the substrate (120) out of the electrospinning enclosure (300).