Polymer/glass nanocomposite fiber as an insulating material

Production of the insulation materials with using nanofibers is the unique idea. With this idea, insulating facilities are enhanced with compressing air between the layers of nanofibers. Basically, glass wool is used as an insulation material. On the other hand, nanofiber glasses can be preferred for insulation purposes to be able to obtain insulation materials better then glass wool. From this point of view in this study, glass nanofibers were formed with sol-gel method by utilizing electrospinning technique. In the experimental part, first of all, sol-gel and polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP)/ethanol solutions were prepared. Then the relation of rheological properties with electrospinnability of PVP/sol-gel solutions was investigated by using a rheometer. Results showed that viscosity increased with the concentration of PVP. Meanwhile, the morphology of electrospun PVP/glass nanofibers was investigated by scanning electron microscope. It was also observed that the homogeneous nanofiber structure was obtained when the viscosity of the solution was 0.006 Pa.s. According to SEM results, it was concluded that nanocomposite fiber having a nanostructured morphology may be a good candidate for thermal insulation applications in the industry.