title: Mechanical interlocking between porous electrospun polystyrene fibers and an epoxy matrix.
abstract: An epoxy matrix filled with nonwoven mats of porous polystyrene (PS) fibers processed by an electrospinning was compression tested at quasi-static (1 × 10(-3) s(-1)) and high strain (315 s(-1)) rates. The electrospun PS fibers with a diameter between 6 and 9 μm, accommodated spherical pores on the surface with the sizes ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 μm. The filling epoxy matrix with 0.2 wt % PS fibers increased the compressive elastic modulus and compressive strength over those of neat epoxy resin. The microscopic observations indicated that the surface pores facilitated the resin intrusions into the fiber, enhancing the interlocking between resin and fibers, and increased the deformation energy expenditure of the polymer matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and §Mechanical Engineering, İzmir Institute of Technology , Urla, 35430 İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horzum
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taşdemirci
authors.forename: Kıvanç
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Güden
keywords: composite; compression; electrospinning; epoxy matrix; high strain rate