Processing and Characterization of PMMA Nanofiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Growing demand for high-performance materials is driving the development of composites with nano material reinforcement. The use of nano reinforcement can provide a distinct advantage due to high surface area of the material. There are still many challenges in achieving the full potential of nanocomposites. In this paper, we investigate the performance of epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with short polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanofibers. PMMA nanofibers were chopped and mixed with the epoxy resin and then the mixture was poured into a mould. Samples were cut to an appropriate size after cure and mechanical testing was carried out. Tensile and flexural strength and modulus were evaluated for samples with various fiber volume fractions to determine changes in mechanical performance. Also Scanning Electron Microscopy was utilized to investigate fracture surface and fiber-matrix interface. Results indicated that mechanical performance dropped as volume fraction of fibers increased, namely poor fiber-matrix adhesion and presence of porosity resulted in deterioration in strength and modulus. Further research is required to develop fiber coating system to enhance performance of the nanocomposite by improving fiber-matrix adhesion and fiber wet-out.