Laminated aramid nanofiber aerogel reinforced epoxy resin composite

Aramid fiber is a kind of high-performance fiber with high strength, high modulus and excellent heat resistance. However, due to its surface inertness, its performances are sometimes not well utilized in the preparation of composites. The emergence of nanoscale aramid fiber has greatly improved the specific surface area of aramid fiber, which is helpful for its interface fusion with the matrix. In this work, we successfully prepared laminated polymerization-induced aramid nanofiber (PANF) aerogel framework/epoxy resin composite with excellent performances. The preparation process mainly consisted the fabrication of laminated PANF aerogel through the combination of vacuum-assisted self-assembly and ice-templated directional solidification technique, and the preparation of PANF aerogel reinforced epoxy resin composite through vacuum-assisted transfer method. The composite demonstrated improved mechanical property and thermal stability compared with the blank epoxy resin. This convenient method provides a new way for the preparation of aramid reinforced composite materials. • Aramid nanofiber aerogel/epoxy resin composite was prepared for the first time. • The orientation structure contributed to the high mechanical performances of composite. • The composite showed significantly improved thermal stability. • The preparation process of composite is simple and expected to achieve industrialization.