Recent progress in interfacial toughening and damage self‐healing of polymer composites based on electrospun and solution‐blown nanofibers: An overview

Abstract

In this article, we provide an overview of recent progress in toughening and damage self-healing of polymer-matrix composites (PMCs) reinforced with electrospun or solution-blown nanofibers at interfaces with an emphasis on the innovative processing techniques and toughening and damage self-healing characterization. Because of their in-plane fiber architecture and layered structure, high-performance laminated PMCs typically carry low interfacial strengths and interlaminar fracture toughnesses in contrast to their very high in-plane mechanical properties. Delamination is commonly observed in these composite structures. Continuous polymer and polymer-derived carbon nanofibers produced by electrospinning, solution blowing, and other recently developed techniques can be incorporated into the ultrathin resin-rich interlayers (with thicknesses of a few to dozens of micrometers) of these high-performance PMCs to form nanofiber-reinforced interlayers with enhanced interlaminar fracture toughnesses. When incorporated with core-shell healing-agent-loaded nanofibers, these nanofiber-richened interlayers can yield unique interfacial damage self-healing. Recent experimental investigations in these topics are reviewed and compared, and recently developed techniques for the scalable, continuous fabrication of advanced nanofibers for interfacial toughening and damage self-healing of PMCs are discussed. Developments in the near future in this field are foreseen.

Self-healing polymeric materials based on microencapsulated healing agents: From design to preparation

“…Proof-of-concept hybrid polymer composites reinforced with self-healing core-shell nanofibers at the interface were produced, and the relevant toughening mechanisms and delivery mechanism of the healing agent were examined and validated, thus demonstrating the applicability of the nanofibers [47]. In addition, the two solutions were intercalated into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a self-sustained diffusion technique.…”

Electrospinning superhydrophobic–superoleophilic fibrous PVDF membranes for high-efficiency water–oil separation

“…In addition, the surface morphology and mechanical properties of electrospun fibers can be tailored via adjusting the solution properties and the process parameters of electrospinning such as the solution conductivity, polymer molecular weight and concentration, applied electrical field, distance from the spinneret to the fiber collector, inner diameter of the spinneret, solution feeding rate, etc. [29][30][31][32][33].…”

Fatigue of Self-Healing Nanofiber-based Composites: Static Test and Subcritical Crack Propagation

“…[10][11][13][14] Self-healing fiber-reinforced polymer composites with thermal curing have been studied for applications in aerospace and automotive structures 6, 20-21 while their selfhealing via catalytic reaction has also been considered. 4,[22][23] Recently, solid state selfjoining materials have emerged as potential self-healing materials, e.g. supramolecular polymers and polymeric hydrogels.…”