Electrospun nanofiber interleaving in fiber reinforced composites—Recent trends

Abstract

Composite materials are increasingly being used as an accepted alternative to traditional structural materials throughout the globe for various engineering applications. Because of their superior properties and flexibility, these materials are beginning to find innumerable applications replacing existing materials, especially in high-performance engineering domains. The electrospinning process adds a further dimension to enhance the properties of the composite material family by incorporating fibers at their microscale to even sub-nanoscale, enabling the development of advanced composites with enhanced properties. Over the past decades, much research work has understandably been done on these exciting materials. This paper aims to comprehensively map some of the trends in electrospun nanofiber interleaved laminated composite development, marking the milestones achieved and challenges faced. A brief review of the potential applications for these materials will also be put forward in the research outlook for these advanced nanoengineered composites. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.