Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Nanocomposites Reinforced with Pan Nanofibre Mats

The integration of electrospun nanofibres into composite materials such as carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) and glass fibre reinforced polymers (GFRPs) has gained significant attention for enhancing their mechanical and thermal properties. This study focuses on the impact of incorporating polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based nanofibres into an epoxy matrix to form multi-layered laminate composites. Our approach involved interleaving these orientated nanofibres within CFRP/GFRP matrices to investigate improvements in bulk material characteristics. The tensile and thermal properties of the resulting nanocomposites were thoroughly analysed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to evaluate the thermal stability and degradation behaviour. In particular, nanocomposites exhibited an increase of 5–24 % in elastic modulus, aligning with predictions from analytical models. This research underscores the potential of PAN nanofibre mats for the development of lightweight, high-performance nanocomposites, offering a novel methodology for the enhancement of composite materials.