Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Nanoparticles Prepared by CO2 Laser Supersonic Atomization

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) particles were prepared by the irradiation of PET fibers with a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser while atomizing them at supersonic velocities. A supersonic jet was generated by blowing air into a vacuum chamber through a fiber injection orifice. The fibers are melted by laser heating and atomized by the supersonic jet at the outlet of the orifice. The PET particles produced by CO2 laser supersonic atomization conducted at a laser power of 34 W and at a chamber pressure of 10 kPa have an average particle size of 0.619 mu m, high circularity, and a smooth surface that is not roughened by laser ablation. The novel CO2 laser supersonic atomization technique can be used to easily prepare polymeric nanoparticles of various thermoplastic polymers using only CO2 laser irradiation without the need for solvents and additives. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.