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Electrospinning of Polyamide 6 (PA 6) in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) was investigated for the fabrication of nanofibrous nonwoven membranes useful for separation systems. The effects of solution characteristics such as concentration and conductivity as well as the effects of processing conditions such as relative humidity and applied potential on the resultant nonwoven fibers were studied. By changing the relative humidity of the electrospinning chamber and the conductivity of the solvent, it is possible to modulate the fiber's size and consequently the porosity of the mats. The morphology of the electrospun PA 6 nanofibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of the nanofibers were also studied. The results showed that PA 6 nanofibers having a diameter ranging from 100 to 600 nm, has been successfully prepared. The electrospun PA 6 nanofiber mats show good mechanical properties, such as a high-tensile strength (12 6 0.2 MPa) and elongation (300% 6 50%). The strength of the web was high enough to use as filter without the need of any supporting matrix and could be applicable in the field of self-supporting membranes. The X-ray and DSC analyses of the PA 6 electrospun fibers show the presence of the cform of PA 6 crystallite that is usually obtained in the condition where a high stress of the fibers is applied.

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Polypropylene (PP)-based composites containing 20 wt.% wool fibres were successfully prepared using a simple melt blending procedure. A blend of a commercial-grade PP and a maleinised PP was chosen as the matrix. To investigate the effects of modifying the fibre surface on the fibre/matrix adhesion, wool fibres were used as received, oxidised, or functionalised with a silane-based coupling agent, capable in principle of reacting with both the fibres and the polyolefinic matrix. The silanisation of the fibres and the consequent surface modifications were assessed using infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The resulting PP-based composites were thoroughly characterised in terms of their morphology, thermal stability and mechanical behaviour

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