Electrospun Nanofibres for Load‐Bearing Composite Materials—A Review of Techniques, Mechanical Properties and Durability

ABSTRACT Electrospun nanofibres are emerging nanomaterials prized for their scalability, high surface area to volume ratio and yield. Their effectiveness in improving the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composites is widely reported. Nanofibres could activate multiscale toughness and reinforcing mechanisms to improve the load‐bearing response of composites. Their adaptability to conventional composite processing routes has incentivized their application in adhesive joints, cementitious composites and polymer matrix composites. This review brings insights into all these load‐bearing composites modified with electrospun nanofibres. It starts by outlining the main criteria for selecting the polymer intended for reinforcing applications. Next, a comparative overview of different interlaminar toughening techniques employing nanofibre interleaves is presented to appreciate 14%–481% and 20%–214% improvement in Mode I and Mode II, respectively. This is followed by a discussion on the durability properties of nanofibre composites and factors improving the bond integrity of modified adhesive joints. The last section focuses on the compositional properties of cement composites and their influence on improving compressive and flexural properties by up to 38% and 89%, respectively. Finally, research directions are shared related to material composition, durability and inspection of electrospun nanofibre reinforced composites to establish their credibility as resilient structural nanocomposites.