Ibrahim M. Alarifi

Thermal, electrical and surface hydrophobic properties of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for structural health monitoring

This paper presents an idea of using carbonized electrospun Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers as a sensor material in a structural health monitoring (SHM) system. The electrospun PAN fibers are lightweight, less costly and do not interfere with the functioning of infrastructure. This study deals with the fabrication of PAN-based nanofibers via electrospinning followed by stabilization and carbonization in order to remove all non-carbonaceous material and ensure pure carbon fibers as the resulting material. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to determine the ionic conductivity of PAN fibers. The X-ray diffraction study showed that the repeated peaks near 42° on the activated nanofiber film were α and β phases, respectively, with crystalline forms. Contact angle, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were also employed to examine the surface, thermal and chemical properties of the carbonized electrospun PAN fibers. The test results indicated that the carbonized PAN nanofibers have superior physical properties, which may be useful for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications in different industries.

Highly Hydrophilic Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile/ Polyvinypyrrolidone Nanofibers Incorporated with Gentamicin as Filter Medium for Dam Water and Wastewater Treatment

The need for advancement in filtration technology has spurred attention to advanced materials, such as electrospun nanofiber membranes, for providing clean water at a low cost with minimum initial investment. Polymer nanofibers can be fabricated by using different techniques, such as template synthesis, self-assembly, drawing, phase separation, and electrospinning. Due to its distinctive properties, electrospinning has become a method of choice for fabricating nanofiber membranes quickly with minimal investment. In this study, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF), and different weight percentages of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and gentamicin sulfate powder were added to the solution to fabricate nanomembranes via the electrospinning process. Gentamicin was added to remove bacteria and viruses and prevent fouling, while PVP was added to make the surface of the membrane hydrophilic for enhancing the filtration rate and efficiency. Two water samples were chosen for the filtration processes: dam water and city wastewater. For the dam water sample, PH, turbidity, TDS, Ca ++ , Mg++ , sulfates, nitrates, fluoride, chloride, alkalinity and silica were reduced to +3.64%, 89.6%, 6.52%, 10.5%, 9.96%, 5.16%, 17%, 19.5%, 6.63%, 1.43% and 63.5% respectively. The total coliforms and E. coli content were reduced to 4.1 MPN/100ml and 0 MPN/100ml, respectively with PAN containing 10 wt. % PVP and 5 wt. % Gentamicin. For wastewater sample, PH, turbidity, TDS, TSS, BODs, phosphate, ammonia, oil-greases and DO were reduced to + 3.62%, 79%, 6.33%, 84%, 68%, 1.70%, 15.8%, 0% and 6% respectively. The total coliforms and E. coli content were also lowered to 980 MPN/100ml and 1119.9 MPN/100ml, respectively with PAN containing 10 wt. % PVP and 5 wt. % Gentamicin. The morphology and dimensions of the nanofibers were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Both SEM and microscopic images of the nanomembrane before and after filtration proved that electrospun PAN nanofibers have superior water filtration performance.

Synthesis, analysis and simulation of carbonized electrospun nanofibers infused carbon prepreg composites for improved mechanical and thermal properties

This paper reports the fabrication, characterization and simulation of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers into pre-impregnated (prepreg) carbon fiber composites for different industrial applications. The electrospun PAN nanofibers were stabilized in air at 270 °C for one hour and then carbonized at 950 °C in an inert atmosphere (argon) for another hour before placing on the prepreg composites as top layers. The prepreg carbon fibers and carbonized PAN nanofibers were cured together following the prepreg composite curing cycles. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was carried out to investigate the chemical compositions and elemental distribution of the carbonized PAN nanofibers. The EDX results revealed that the carbon weight % of approximately 66 (atomic % 72) was achieved in the PAN-derived carbon nanofibers along with nitrogen and lower amounts of nickel, oxygen and other impurities. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) exhibited the glass transition regions in the prepreg nanocomposites and the significant dependence of coefficient of thermal expansion on the fiber directions. The highest value of coefficient of thermal expansion was observed in the temperature range of 118-139 °C (7.5×10-8 1/°C) for 0 degree nanocomposite scheme. The highest value of coefficient of thermal expansion was observed in the temperature range of 50-80 °C (37.5×10-6 1/°C) for 90 degree nanocomposite scheme. The test results were simulated using ANSYS software. The test results may be useful for the development of structural health monitoring of various composite materials for aircraft and wind turbine applications.

Synthesis of electrospun polyacrylonitrile- derived carbon fibers and comparison of properties with bulk form

This study deals with the fabrication of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers via an electrospinning process followed by stabilizing and carbonization in order to remove all non-carboneous matter and ensure a pure carboneous material. The as-spun PAN fibers were stabilized in air at 270°C for one hour and then carbonized at 750, 850, and 950°C in an inert atmosphere (argon) for another one hour. Differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy were employed to determine the thermal and chemical properties of PAN. Surface features and morphologies of PAN-derived carbon nanofibers were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM micrograms showed that fiber diameters were reduced after carbonization due to evolution of toxic gases and dehydrogenation. The Raman spectra of carbonized fibers manifested D/G peaks. The Raman spectroscopy peaks of 1100 and 500 cm-1 manifested the formation of γ phase and another peak at 900 cm-1 manifested the formation of α-phase. The water contact angle measurement of carbonized PAN fibers indicated that the nanofibers were superhydrophobic (θ > 150o) due to the formation of bumpy and pitted surface after carbonization. In DSC experiment, the stabilized fibers showed a broad exothermic peak at 308°C due to cyclization process. The mechanical andThermal analysis was used to ascertain mechanical properties of carbonized PAN fibers. PAN-derived carbon nanofibers possess excellent physica and mechanical properties and therefore, they may be suitable for many industrial applications such as energy, biomedical, and aerospace.

Comparative studies on different nanofiber photocatalysts for water splitting

Water splitting using photocatalyst has become a topic of recent investigation since it has the potential of producing hydrogen for clean energy from sunlight. An extensive number of solid photocatalysts have been studied for overall water splitting in recent years. In this study, two methods were employed to synthesize two different photocatalysts for water splitting. The first method describes the synthesis of nickel oxide-loaded strontium titanate (NiO-SrTiO3) particles on electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers incorporated with graphene nanoplatelets for water splitting. The electrospun PAN fibers were first oxidized at 270°C for two hours and subsequently immersed in a solution containing ethanol, titanium (IV)-isopropoxide [C12H28O4Ti] and strontium nitrate [Sr(NO3)2]. This solution was then treated with NiO nanoparticles dispersed in toluene. The surface treated PAN fibers were annealed at 600°C in air for 1 hour to transform fibers into a crystalline form for improved photocatalyst performance. In the second method, coaxial electrospinning process was used to produce core/shell strontium titanate/nickel oxide (SrTiO3-NiO) nanofibers. In coaxial method, poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) was dissolved in deionized (DI) water, and then titanium (IV) isopropoxide [C12H28O4Ti] and strontium nitrate [Sr(NO3)2] were added into the solution to form the inner (core) layer. For outer (shell) solution, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer was dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) at a weight ratio of 10:90 and then nickel oxide was mixed with the solution. Ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry and static contact angle measurement techniques were employed to characterize the structural properties of photocatalysts produced by both methods and a comparison was made between the two photocatalysts. The morphology and diameter of the nanofibers were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The structure and crystallinity of the calcined nanofibers were also observed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Effects of edge grinding and sealing on mechanical properties of machine damaged laminate composites

Fiber reinforced composites have been utilized for a number of different applications, including aircraft, wind turbine, automobile, construction, manufacturing, and many other industries. During the fabrication, machining (waterjet, diamond and band saws) and assembly of these laminate composites, various edge and hole delamination, fiber pullout and other micro and nanocracks can be formed on the composite panels. The present study mainly focuses on the edge grinding and sealing of the machine damaged fiber reinforced composites, such as fiberglass, plain weave carbon fiber and unidirectional carbon fiber. The MTS tensile test results confirmed that the composite coupons from the grinding process usually produced better and consistent mechanical properties compared to the waterjet cut samples only. In addition to these studies, different types of high strength adhesives, such as EPON 828 and Loctite were applied on the edges of the prepared composite coupons and cured under vacuum. The mechanical tests conducted on these coupons indicated that the overall mechanical properties of the composite coupons were further improved. These processes can lower the labor costs on the edge treatment of the composites and useful for different industrial applications of fiber reinforced composites.

Electrospun strontium titanata nanofibers incorporated with nickel oxide nanoparticles for improved photocatalytic activities

The inexpensive sources of fossil fuels in the world are limited, and will deplete soon because of the huge demand on the energy and growing economies worldwide. Thus, many research activities have been focused on the non-fossil fuel based energy sources, and this will continue next few decades. Water splitting using photocatalysts is one of the major alternative energy technologies to produce hydrogen directly from water using photon energy of the sun. Numerous solid photocatalysts have been used by researchers for water splitting. In the present study, nickel oxide and strontium titanata were chosen as photocatalysts for water splitting. Poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) was incorporated with nickel oxide [Ni2O3] (co-catalyst), while poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc) was mixed with titanium (IV) isopropoxide [C12H28O4Ti] and strontium nitrate [Sr(NO3)2]. Then, two solutions were electrospun using coaxial electrospinning technique to generate nanoscale fibers incorporated with NiOx nanoparticles. The fibers were then heat treated at elevated temperatures for 2hr in order to transform the strontium titanata and nickel oxide into crystalline form for a better photocatalytic efficiency. The morphology of fibers was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the surface hydrophobicity was determined using water contact angle goniometer. The UV-vis spectrophotometer was also used to determine the band gap energy values of the nanofibers. This study may open up new possibilities to convert water into fuel directly using the novel photocatalysts.

Electrospun TiO2 nanofibers incorporated with graphene nanoflakes for energy conversion

Solar energy has been used in many different ways, including solar water heater, solar cooking, space heating, and electricity generation. The major drawbacks of the solar energy conversion systems are the lower conversion efficiency and higher manufacturing and replacement costs. In order to eliminate these obstacles, many studies were focused on the energy and cost efficiencies of the solar cells (particularly dye sensitized solar cells – DSSC and thin film solar cells). In the present study, TiO2 nanofibers incorporated with graphene nanoflakes (0, 2, 4, and 8wt.%) were produced using electrospinning process. The chemical utilized for the electrospinning process included poly (vinyle acetate), dimetylfomamide (DMF), titanium (IV) isopropoxide and acetic acid in the presence and absence of graphene nanoflakes. The resultant nanofibers were heat treated at 300 °C for 2 hrs in a standard oven to remove all the organic parts of the nanofibers, and then further heated up to 500 °C in an argon atmosphere for additional 12 hrs to crystalline the nanofibers. SEM, TEM and XRD studies showed that graphene and TiO2 nanofibers are well integrated in the nanofiber structures. This study may guide some of the scientists and engineers to tailor the energy bang gap structures of some of the semiconductor materials for different industrial applications, including DSSC, water splitting, catalyst, batteries, and fuel cell.

Electrospun carbon nanofibers for improved electrical conductivity of fiber reinforced composites

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF), and then electrospun to generate nanofibers using various electrospinning conditions, such as pump speeds, DC voltages and tip-to-collector distances. The produced nanofibers were oxidized at 270 °C for 1 hr, and then carbonized at 850 °C in an argon gas for additional 1 hr. The resultant carbonized PAN nanofibers were placed on top of the pre-preg carbon fiber composites as top layers prior to the vacuum oven curing following the pre-preg composite curing procedures. The major purpose of this study is to determine if the carbonized nanofibers on the fiber reinforced composites can detect the structural defects on the composite, which may be useful for the structural health monitoring (SHM) of the composites. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the electrospun PAN fibers were well integrated on the pre-preg composites. Electrical conductivity studies under various tensile loads revealed that nanoscale carbon fibers on the fiber reinforced composites detected small changes of loads by changing the resistance values. Electrically conductive composite manufacturing can have huge benefits over the conventional composites primarily used for the military and civilian aircraft and wind turbine blades.