Electrospun nanofibers for highly toughened fibre reinforced polymer composite laminates

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer composites are the material of choice for designing applications which require a high strength and stiffness at minimal weight such as aerospace structures, wind turbines or ultralight vehicles. However, delamination between the reinforcing plies remains a major problem as it limits further breakthrough of these materials. Recently, interleaving electrospun nanofibres between the reinforcing plies has proven to be a viable interlaminar toughening method which can significantly limit the occurrence of delamination failure in composite materials. This presentation will give a thorough insight into the relationship between the electrospun nanofibre properties and the resulting tough composites, and as such, allow for engineering novel and damage resistant nanofiber toughened composites