Hybrid multiscale fiber reinforced epoxy composite laminates were developed and characterized from woven glass fiber mats reinforced with nonwoven PAN nanofibers (diameters of 200 nm) produced via electrospinning. An electrospinning setup was designed and developed to produce continuous E‐spun nonwoven nanofiber (NWNF) mats, which were then used as interlaminar reinforcements for producing multiscale hybrid composites. A detailed study for producing E‐spun nanomats considering both solution and operation parameters was undertaken discussed and optimum spinning parameters were obtained. These parameters were used to produce the E‐spun NWNF mats, which were inserted into the interlaminar region of glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminates. The impact absorption energy, tensile strength, and flexural strength of the hybrid multiscale composites were found to increase with an increase in E‐spun NWNF mat weight fraction. These properties were compared to those of a conventional glass fiber composite laminates prepared from the neat epoxy resin with 32% glass fiber volume fraction. The effectiveness of the strengthening/toughening strategy formulated in this study indicates that the feasibility of using the E‐spun NWNF mat reinforcements for improving the mechanical properties of structured high‐performance composites. In addition, the present study provides motivation for the long‐term development of high‐strength high toughness bulk structural nanocomposites for broader engineering applications.

Glass and coir fiber hybrid composites were characterized for the addition of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt% functionalized fCNFs produced from waste coal fly-ash and were used also as secondary reinforcements for producing both glass and coir fiber composites. Before choosing the hybrid composites fabrication parameters, an optimum fiber mass fraction of glass and coir fibers were obtained by fabricating and mechanically testing the composites specimens with mass fraction of 24, 32, and 40 wt% for glass and 10, 15, and 20 wt% for coir fibers, respectively. From the test results, the glass fiber composites with 32 wt% and coir fiber composites with 15 wt% were found to be the most suitable mass fraction for fabricating the hybrid composites. Based on the functionalization results, the surfacetreated CNFs for 6 hrs in an acid solution were the best secondary reinforcement in fabricating glass and coir fiber hybrid composites. The hybrid composites testing results showed that both glass and coir fiber hybrid composites reinforced with 0.5 wt% functionalized CNFs were better than those of 0