Production and characterization of polybutadiene based composite fibers by electrospinning method

The main purpose of the thesis is to develop new materials with different properties by producing fibers of polybutadiene and polybutadiene based polymers by electrospinning method, which is one of the efficient and cost-effective fiber production methods. In this context, firstly, polybutadiene films were obtained by electrospinning method under different conditions and vulcanization studies were carried out. The results obtained showed that the hardness of the rubbers produced by the electrospinning method was 13% higher, the hydrophobicity 4% and the elastic modulus 5% higher than those produced by the classical method. In the second stage of the thesis, the preparation of suitable polymer mixtures was investigated in order to solve the problem that polybutadiene-based materials prevent fiber formation by fusing. In this context, it has been shown for the first time in the thesis that the fibers of polybutadiene can be prepared in the presence of poly(ethyleneoxide) and polystyrene. CNT was added to some samples to investigate the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as additives on fiber formation, electrical and mechanical properties. By changing the polybutadiene/poly(ethyleneoxide) ratios and adding CNT, homogeneous fibers can be produced by electrospinning system with diameters ranging from 2.17 μm to 4.48 μm. By adding Polystyrene and CNT to Polybutadiene/Polystyrene and Polystyrene-Polybutadiene-Polystyrene copolymer, homogeneous fibers can be produced by electrospinning system with diameters ranging from 0.66 μm to 4.57 μm. In the third stage of the thesis, the behavior of the fibers prepared under cryogenic conditions was investigated. Studies have shown that polybutadiene/poly(ethyleneoxide) blend fibers do not deteriorate under cryogenic conditions and can be used in applications requiring low temperatures. Finally, photochemical crosslinking studies were carried out in the presence of chitosan to improve the mechanical properties of the prepared fibers. As a result of cross-linking of polybutadiene/poly(ethyleneoxide) blend fibers, more water resistant fibers could be prepared. As a result, it can be said that new fibers with different properties and structures that can be used in different applications are prepared within the scope of the thesis.