Enhancement of mechanical properties of TiO2 nanofibers by reinforcement with polysulfone fibers

Abstract

The titania (TiO2)/polysulfone (PSF) blend fibers were prepared by hybrid electrospinning to impart mechanical stability to the TiO2 fibers. The TiO2/PSF blend fibers (2/1 and 1/1, w/w) were prepared by adjusting the flow rate of PSF solution with the flow rate of the TiO2 Sol fixed. The PSF fibers in the blend fibers provided the mechanical stability for the TiO2 fibrous mat. Both the tensile strength and modulus of the TiO2/PSF blend fibers increased gradually with increasing PSF content. whereas the breaking elongation decreased. This suggests that PSF fibers play an important role in the mechanical resistance of blend fiber mats. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.