| Popis: |
The manufacturing of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) laminates containing aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is investigated in this paper. Three-dimensional reinforcement of the laminates is achieved using long (>10 m) CNTs in both the interlaminar and intralaminar regions. Radially-aligned CNTs were grown in situ on the surface of alumina fibers in woven fabrics by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), creating a nanoscale, ‘fuzzy fiber (FF)’ hierarchical architecture. The effect of CVD conditions on CNT growth morphology and length is determined for a new cloth weave, and a CVD process for long, consistent aligned CNT growth is established. Additionally, the effect of CNT length on laminate permeability is explored to study the manufacturability of fuzzy fiber reinforced plastic (FFRP) laminates. The parametric study on CVD conditions revealed the robustness of the CVD process in growing aligned CNTs on alumina fibers under a range of conditions. Permeability testing revealed a 10x decrease in permeability of laminates with the longest CNTs, in contrast to the over 20x increase in surface area. Results indicate that infusion processing of FFRP laminates with an unmodified aerospace-grade resin can be accomplished with standard infusion setups. |
