Composite Fibers with 1D and 2D Nanoparticle Reinforcement*

High-performance fibers have been conventionally used in advanced composites for automobile, aerospace, wind energy, and space telescope areas. These fibers include carbon, glass, and aromatic polymer fibers. However, most of these fibers contain a single composition and are uni-functional. Thus, this research will report composite fibers consisting of multilateral with structural properties and multifunctional behaviors that can significantly benefit light-density systems or devices. Nanoparticles of different dimensions and sizes were included in various polymers and fabricated via fiber spinning. The spun fibers showed designable morphologies, such as core-shell, co-axially layered, perpendicular to cross-section layered, and hollow microstructures. The studied parameters include nanoparticle orders, polymer-nanoparticle interactions, and mechanical/functional reinforcement efficiency. The studied systems include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carbon nanotube (CNT), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/graphene nanoplatelet (GNP), polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/carbon nanofiber (CNF), and PVA/boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) composites. The demonstrations of these composites include structural materials, sensors, smart textiles, and others.