Electrostatic production of fibers (electrospinning) has recently become an object of intensive experimental research due to potentially broad markets for the fibers as small as 1 OOnm (nanofibers). The understanding of the physics of the process and the fundamental model thereof are still lacking. We present the theory of electrospinning accounting for nonlinear effects such as the thinning of the jet and strain hardening. The model predicts the amplitude of the whipping instability causing the formation of nanofibers to saturate and the jet to reach a terminal diameter controlled by the surface tension, surface charge repulsion and solvent evaporation.
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