Fabrication of electrospun PVDF nanofibrous membrane for filtration of coconut inflorescence sap

Abstract Electrospinning is a versatile process for producing ultrafine fibers, typically ranging from nanometers to micrometers in size, by applying a high voltage to a polymer solution. The resulting nanofibres are randomly oriented on the collector plate, creating a membrane. Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), a hydrophobic food‐grade polymer, was utilized in this study to fabricate a nanofibrous membrane. The polymer concentrations (15%–24%) and the dissolving solvents N, N‐dimethylformamide, and acetone in various ratios were optimized to form a high‐conductivity polymer solution. The optimized polymer and dissolving concentrations to create a beadless fibrous membrane were 20%–22% (w/w) and 8:2, respectively. The optimized spinning process parameters were 12.5 kV as the applied voltage, a 1.5 mL/h sample flow rate, a distance of 5.5 cm between the needle and the collector plate, and the plate collector and spinneret speed set at 25 rpm. The fabricated nanofibrous membranes' average pore size was 478–543 nm, exhibiting 160–165 μm thickness, with a tensile break strain of 56.7% and 71% at 11.5 and 32.5 N ultimate force, respectively. In this study, the fabricated PVDF membrane effectively reduced the yeast load of coconut inflorescence sap and extended the shelf life.