Electrospun nanocomposite polyacrylonitrile fibers containing carbon nanotubes and cobalt ferrite

Abstract

Abstract Nanocomposite fibers made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles were fabricated by electrospinning. The 10–25 nm CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were made by a simple hydrothermal process. Characterization by X‐ray diffraction confirmed that the CNTs and the CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into the PAN matrix. Scanning electron microscopy showed nanocomposite fibers with regular morphologies. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the internal distribution of the CNTs and CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles. The nanocomposite fibers exhibited effective electromagnetic interference shielding attenuation of about 3.9 dB. Magnetic measurement using a vibrating sample magnetometer showed saturation magnetization of 4.7 emu g −1 , thus this property can be accurately tailored by adjusting the loading of CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers