Publication

Abstract : In this work, nanofibers of poly (styrene-co-butadiene) copolymer were successfully fabricated using electrospinning technique. The optimum polymer concentration was found to be 18 wt % at an applied voltage potential of 10 KV. The morphology of the prepared fibers was observed by Polarized light microscope (PLS) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Short fiber reinforced composites were fabricated by incorporating these chopped electrospun fibers at different weight percentages into the epoxy matrix and subsequently the properties of these composites were analyzed. The morphology of the fractured epoxy surface was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to observe the crack propagation through the system. The tensile strength of the composite samples showed an increasing trend with an 18% improvement at 2.5 wt % loading. The fracture toughness of the samples analyzed by single notch bend test exhibited a remarkable improvement with 104% enhancement at 2.5 wt % loading. The toughening mechanism was elucidated from the morphology obtained using SEM. The Dynamic storage modulus of the fiber reinforced samples at 5 wt % loading revealed an improvement of nearly 2 folds than that of neat epoxy samples and experimental results were compared with theoretic models. The thermal properties of samples were also examined and it was found that all the samples are thermally stable in a considerable range of temperature. Dynamic rheological studies were also employed to examine the impact of fiber loading on the viscosity and modulus of the epoxy matrix and a few flow models were interpreted with the experimental data obtained.