Novel Antibacterial and Toughened Carbon-Fibre/Epoxy Composites by the Incorporation of TiO2 Nanoparticles Modified Electrospun Nanofibre Veils

Abstract

The inclusion of electrospun nanofiber veils was revealed as an effective method for enhancing the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites. These veils will eventually allow the incorporation of nanomaterials not only for mechanical reinforcement but also in multifunctional applications. Therefore, this paper investigates the effect of electrospun nanofibrous veils made of polyamide 6 modified with TiO2 nanoparticles on the mechanical properties of a carbon-fiber/epoxy composite. The nanofibers were included in the carbon-fiber/epoxy composite as a single structure. The effect of positioning these veils in different composite positions was investigated. Compared to the reference, the use of unmodified and TiO2 modified veils increased the flexural stress at failure and the fracture toughness of composites. When TiO2 modified veils were incorporated, new antibacterial properties were achieved due to the photocatalytic properties of the veils, widening the application area of these composites.

Recent Developments in Nanomaterials-Modified Membranes for Improved Membrane Distillation Performance

“…In recent studies, various oxides-based NPs like SiO 2 , TiO 2 , ZnO, and Al 2 O 3 were used to enhance the membrane flux and wetting resistance for MD operations [ 53 , 77 ]. Among these, TiO 2 NPs have gained a lot more consideration due to their high availability, and excellent physicochemical, antibacterial, and anti-fouling properties [ 86 , 87 ]. TiO 2 NPs are added to prevent fouling by rendering hydrophilicity to these hydrophobic MD membranes, reducing the surface interaction of these organic foulants.…”

Metal Nanoparticles for Improving Bactericide Functionality of Usual Fibers

“…Zn, Fe, and Ti nanoparticles are extensively investigated [ 27 , 28 ] but only few works deal with Ta nanoparticles. Previously Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticles of 40–60 nm showed only limited bacteriostatic effect towards B acillus subtilis at a dosage of 200 pg/cell [ 29 ], and no activity was detected against Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Staphylococcus aureus .…”

The Thickness Effect of PSF Nanofibrous Mat on Fracture Toughness of Carbon/Epoxy Laminates

“…Using thermoplastics as additives in thermoset-based CFRPs is an attractive method for enhancing their fracture toughness [11][12][13][14]. These additives can be in the form of particles [15][16][17][18], film [19,20], or fibers [21][22][23][24][25][26], and range in size from nano-to micrometers. These types of materials have long been used for toughening laminates, except for nanofibers which were introduced in the last few years [27] and have not attracted researchers' attention until recently [28].…”