Evaluation of Boron Carbide-Incorporated Composite Nanofibers for Defense Applications

Abstract

This work examines the production and evaluation of boron carbide-doped polyacrylonitrile B4C/PAN nanofibers designed for use in the defense industry. Composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning PAN solutions containing varying B4C concentrations (1-20 wt%) under optimized processing conditions (15 kV voltage, 18 cm needle-to-collector distance, 1.5 mL/h flow rate). The structural and chemical characteristics of the nanofibers were evaluated using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, while their thermal behavior was investigated by TGA. Increasing B4C content enhanced the thermal stability of PAN nanofibers, as evidenced by higher decomposition temperatures and reduced total weight loss—dropping from 57% in neat PAN to 28% in the 20 wt% B4C/PAN sample— indicating that B4C reinforces the polymer structure at elevated temperatures and supports its suitability for protective applications. Together, these findings demonstrate that B4C not only improves thermal resistance but also chemically integrates with the polymer matrix, making B4C/PAN nanofibers promising candidates for advanced, thermally stable defense textiles.