(539c) Precision Fabrication of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites Via Advanced Manufacturing Techniques

Glass fiber (GF)-reinforced polymer fibers have broad applications in various applications. The key for mechanically robust fibers is the precise microstructural control of these GFs, including their location, dispersion, and orientation. A new methodology is presented here that combines dry-jet-wet spinning and forced assembly for scalable fabrication of Multilayered fiber composites, consisting of alternating layers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PAN-GF. The thickness of each layer is controlled during the multiplication process, with resolutions down to the nanometer scale. The introduction of alternating layers facilitates the quality of GF dispersion due to nanoscale confinement, and at the same time, enhances their orientation due to shear stress generated at each layer interface. In a demonstration example, with 1-5 wt.% GF loading, a composite fiber shows a significant mechanical enhancement in modulus and strength compared to a pure PAN fiber. Beyond mechanical reinforcement, the presented fabrication method is expected to have enormous potential for the scalable fabrication of polymer nanocomposites with complex structural features for versatile applications.