Engineered polymer nanofibers are materials with high potential to form composite materials. Electrospinning is a technique that allows preparation of such fibers with a high degree of nanometric scale control. This study explores the preparation of polymer nanocomposites reinforced with nylon nanofibers through impregnation. The polymer matrix consists of water soluble polymers, and engineering polymers for structure and electronic applications such as polyvinylidine pyrrolidone, PP and poly-dimethyl siloxane, respectively. The procedure involves deposition of the electrospun nylon nanofibers on a substrate. Fiber orientation and morphology were studied using scanning electron microscopy and small-angle light scattering, and mechanical properties were studied under uniaxial tensile deformation. The results showed that preparation of nanocomposites using nylon nanofibers is feasible, and the nanofibers significantly improved the mechanical properties of the polymer matrix.

There has been much interest in the last few years on materials reinforced with nanometer scale particles. These so-called nanocomposites can exhibit hybrid properties derived from its components. One of the most promising nanocomposites is that based on polymers reinforced with single-layered carbon sheets named graphene. The reason is that graphene can significantly improve the physical properties of the polymeric material once it is completely dispersed in the matrix. In this work nylon/graphene nanocomposites were prepared starting from the synthesis of graphite oxide (GO). Direct oxidation of graphite powder was utilized to produce GO. That is, the oxidation reaction produced graphite layers with functional groups containing oxygen. The aim was to increase the polarity of GO to enable a good dispersion in polar solvents. Then, nylon/graphene nanocomposites were prepared by reducing GO in the presence of nylon. Finally, non-woven membranes, with nanometer sized filaments, of nylon/graphene were electrospun. The morphology and microstructure of the nanocomposites was investigated via electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.