PES/POSS Soluble Veils as Advanced Modifiers for Multifunctional Fiber Reinforced Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Epoxy-based composites are widely used but often suffer from limitations in their interlaminar regions.
• Tailoring interlaminar properties is crucial for enhancing overall composite performance.
• Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are known for their ability to improve material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS)-filled thermoplastic electrospun veils for modifying epoxy-based composites.
• To investigate the effect of POSS content on the morphology and viscoelastic properties of the interlaminar region.
• To assess the feasibility of using soluble veils for uniform POSS dispersion.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of electrospun veils containing varying wt % of POSS and coPolyethersulphone (coPES).
• Incorporation of veils into an epoxy matrix, designed to dissolve during curing.
• Characterization of veil morphology, fiber diameter, phase morphology, and viscoelastic properties using dynamic mechanical analysis.

Main Results:

• High-quality electrospun veils with POSS content up to 10 wt % were successfully produced, reducing nanofiber diameter.
• POSS effectively dispersed within the interlaminar region, significantly influencing phase morphology.
• Composites with 1% and 5% POSS showed improved storage modulus and a >30 °C shift in thermal properties, avoiding POSS segregation.

Conclusions:

• Soluble POSS-filled electrospun veils are an effective method for tailoring the interlaminar properties of epoxy composites.
• POSS incorporation enhances mechanical and thermal performance by hindering molecular chain and network junction motion.
• Optimized POSS content (1-5 wt %) prevents segregation and maximizes property improvements.