Effects of Nylon 6,6 Nanofibrous Mats on Thermal Properties and Delamination Behavior of High Performance CFRP Laminates

Nylon 6,6 electrospun nanofibrous membranes interleaved in “high performance” Carbon Fiber ReinforcedPolymer (CFRP) laminates have been proposed as a means to provide a high threshold value to delaminationon structural sites where composites are more prone to develop such failure. A model, highly crosslinked, thus inherently brittle, epoxy matrix was selected for its high Young’s modulus and glass transition temperature exceeding 250 C. The influence of theNylon 6,6 nanofibers on the curing behavior of the matrix and on the thermal and dynamic mechanicalproperties of the cured resin was investigated. These properties were related to the features of the epoxyresin and of the resin impregnated nanofibrous mat. Finally, the delamination behavior of the composite laminates interleaved with Nylon interleaves with differentthicknesses was studied through Mode I delamination tests on Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) samples. The results show that the initial Mode I fracture toughness was increased up to about 50% by the presence of the thin mat interleaf.