Mechanical properties an of electrospun polymer fibre-metal oxide nanocomposite mat

Abstract

The paper presents experimental results on the investigations of mechanical properties of nanocomposite mats produced by the method of core-shell electrospinning. By this method, the nanofibers were covered with metal-oxide nanoparticles, co-deposited from colloidal suspension during the process of electrospinning. A novel co-extrusion nozzle, with electrospun polymer solution flowing through the central nozzle and colloidal suspension of nanoparticles through the co-axial annular nozzle, was designed for the production of electrospun nanofibers. The experiments were carried out for the polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polysulphone (PSU) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) dissolved in suitable solvents. The 5 wt.% of TiO2 particles were suspended in THF with an addition of Dynasylan R Memo (Degussa). The diameter of the produced fibers varied from 400 to 800 nm for an appropriate polymer concentration. The tensile stress at maximum load for polymer mats with TiO2 nanoparticles was 0.64 ± 0.05 MPa, 0.25 ± 0.03 MPa, and 2.97 ± 0.30 MPa for PVC, PSU, and PVDF, respectively. The tensile modulus was 13.2 ± 1.1 MPa, 15.2 ± 1.5 MPa, and 20.6 ± 2.0 MPa, for PVC, PSU, and PVDF, respectively. The sample elongation at break point was 68.2%, 53.1%, and 149% for PVC, PSU, and PVDF, respectively.