Development of functional glass fibres with nanocomposite coating: A comparative study

This paper reports the application of polymer-based nanocomposites containing epoxy and carbon-based nanoparticles (carbon nanotubes and graphene) as a functional coating for glass fibres. The mechanical, electrical and barrier performance of glass fibres with different coatings are studied and compared. The results show that both mechanical and electrical properties of glass fibres are significantly enhanced after nanocomposites coating. An interesting observation is that when graphene is used as nanoscale filler in the nanocomposites, the coating functions as a barrier layer to prevent glass fibres from environmental attacks. The mechanisms behind these observations are illustrated and the potential application of functional fibres is discussed.