HYBRID WOVEN GLASS FIBRE FABRIC-CARBON NANOTUBE-EPOXY COMPOSITES

摘要

Carbon nanotubes have been explored in composite materials to increase the electrical conductivity [1-3], the glass transition temperature and modulus. Continuous fiber-polymer composites fail in different damage modes under impact: intraply cracks, delamination and fiber fracture. Hence, any methods to improve matrix properties and delamination are under consideration for increasing the required penetration energy under impact, including matrix toughening by adding nanoparticles. Carbon nanotubes are of interest as reinforcement against impact, as they have a large aspect ratio and can form a network. Although the concept of multiscale reinforcement in composite materials has been thought advantageous, it is very difficult to fully infiltrate multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) through a continuous fiber reinforcement. In this study, the fabrication of interlayers of MWNTs within the laminate has been considered and electrospinning has been used to fabricate these MWNT interlayers. Grujicic et al [4] carried out computational modeling of the impact process of hybrid glass fiber fabrics-MWNT interlayers-polyester composites and concluded that the optimum configuration for a MWNT-loaded continuous glass fiber laminate requires a 100 μm layer of MWNTs near the front face of a laminated structure.