Scaling analysis of a charged jet formed upon electrospinning of a viscoelastic liquid

The dependences of the parameters of a jet and the intensity of the current generated in it during electrospinning of a viscoelastic liquid on the conductivity, viscosity, surface tension, and other characteristics of the liquid, as well as the strength of an external electric field and the liquid flow rate, are considered. The process is described in terms of the Maxwell liquid model, which is characterized by a single relaxation time and convective-type nonlinearity. Two regimes corresponding to high and low liquid flow rates are identified. The jet diameter is shown to decrease with a rise in the liquid conductivity coefficient and electric field strength. Moreover, at high flow rates, the current intensity almost linearly grows with the field strength.