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Multifunctional Hybrid Carbon Nanotube/Carbon Fiber Polymer CompositesFor aircraft primary structures, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites possess many advantages over conventional aluminum alloys due to their light weight, higher strengthand stiffness-to-weight ratio, and low life-cycle maintenance costs. However, the relatively low electrical and thermal conductivities of CFRP composites fail to provide structural safety in certain operational conditions such as lightning strikes. Despite several attempts to solve these issues with the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNT) into polymer matrices, and/or by interleaving CNT sheets between conventional carbon fiber (CF) composite layers, there are still interfacial problems that exist between CNTs (or CF) and the resin. In this study, hybrid CNT/CF polymer composites were fabricated by interleaving layers of CNT sheets with Hexcel® IM7/8852 prepreg. Resin concentrations from 1 wt% to 50 wt% were used to infuse the CNT sheets prior to composite fabrication. The interlaminar properties of the resulting hybrid composites were characterized by mode I and II fracture toughness testing (double cantilever beam and end-notched flexure test). Fractographical analysis was performed to study the effect of resin concentration. In addition, multi-directional physical properties like thermal conductivity of the orthotropic hybrid polymer composite were evaluated. Interleaving CNT sheets significantly improved the in-plane (axial and perpendicular direction of CF alignment) thermal conductivity of the hybrid composite laminates by 50 - 400%.
Document ID
20160009129
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kang, Jin Ho
(National Inst. of Aerospace Hampton, VA, United States)
Cano, Roberto J.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Ratcliffe, James G.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Luong, Hoa
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Grimsley, Brian W.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Siochi, Emilie J.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
July 19, 2016
Publication Date
May 23, 2016
Subject Category
Composite Materials
Aircraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
NF1676L-23153
Meeting Information
Meeting: SAMPE 2016
Location: Long Beach, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: May 23, 2016
End Date: May 26, 2016
Sponsors: Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 473452.02.07.04.01.02
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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