Electrospinning of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Nanocomposite Fibrils and Yarns

Abstract

ABSTRACTSingle wall (SWNT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were electrostatically assembled into nanofibers through an electrospinning process in order to increase the strength and toughness of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-derived carbon fibers. It was found that the effectiveness of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in reinforcing the PAN precursor is highly dependent on the dispersion and the alignment of the CNT. Alignment was achieved during electrospinning by the flow of polymer, electrostatic charge and diameter confinement. Up to 10 wt. % SWNT co-electrospun with PAN was successfully produced with fiber diameters in the range of 40 nm to 400 nm. With the addition of 1 wt. % SWNT, a two-fold increase in strength and modulus was obtained in the as-spun nanofibers mat. These encouraging results show a promising pathway to produce the next generation of high performance carbon fibers that will help bridge dimensional and properties gap between nanoscopic and macroscopic structures.