Poly-m-aramid electrospun nanofibrous mats as high-performance flame retardants for carbon fiber reinforced composites

For the first time an innovative approach to manufacture flame shield coatings by producing thin polyaramidic nanofibrous sheets via electrospinning is presented. Nanofibrous mats with a well-defined alignment provide a thin, compact but pliable layer of intrinsically flame-retardant material. The electrospun membrane (about 0.4 g/100 cm2) displays good mechanical properties and easy handling and could be applied onto epoxy-carbon fiber composites to modify their flame behaviour. Conecalorimetric tests show time to ignition doubled for the coated material and a dramatically reduced ability to propagate fire once ignited. Finally, addition of a simple polyaramidic nanofibrous membrane is proved able to change the flame behaviour of a composite from a high-risk material class, to an intermediate one.