Fabrication and characterization of electrospun composite materials

In this work, the characteristics of silicone rubber (SiR) and epoxy composites prepared by using the electrospinning technique are compared with conventionally prepared composite materials. Both micron sized silica fillers and silica/aluminum nanofillers are used in preparing the composites. The technique of electrospinning was used to enhance the dispersion of nanofillers by embedding the fillers in the polymer. The thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA) of the composites has shown that the interfacial bonding between the fillers and the polymer matrix is strong in those samples prepared using the ES technique, which agrees with the uniform filler morphology observed in the SEM images. Further, it has been shown that heat resistance, tensile strength, and elongation at break for electrospun SiR samples are better than those for conventionally prepared samples. Similarly, for epoxy composites prepared using ES technique, a significant improvement in thermal properties have been obtained.