High performance functional composites by in-situ orientation of carbon nanofillers

• Published in: Composite structures Vol. 215; pp. 178 - 184
• Main Authors: Singer, G., Sinn, G., Rennhofer, H., Schuller, R., Grünewald, T.A., Unterlass, M.M., Windberger, U., Lichtenegger, H.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2019
• Subjects: Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP); Carbon nanofibers (CNF); Carbon nanotubes (CNT); Dielectrophoresis (DEP); Functional composites; Functional composites; Carbon nanotubes (CNT); Dielectrophoresis (DEP); Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP); Carbon nanofibers (CNF)
• ISSN: 0263-8223; 1879-1085
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2019.02.020

•In-situ orientation of MWCNT and CNF during a hot curing process of a CFRP.•Remarkable improvement of mechanical and electrical performance.•Applicable procedure towards production of advanced functional composites. A simple route for the in-situ orientation of carbon nanofillers applied during the curing process of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CRFP) in a hot press, is demonstrated. Neat MWCNT, amine-functionalized MWCNT (MWCNT-NH2) and CNF were dispersed in an epoxy resin using a three-roll-mill (TRM) to ensure good dispersion. The process leads to a hierarchically structured functional composite where MWCNT/CNF are aligned in the z-direction (out-of-plane) of the carbon fiber plies, giving rise to improved mechanical and electrical performance. Our results demonstrate that aligned carbon nanofillers yield significantly more pronounced improvements than non-oriented fillers. An applicable processing route towards advanced functional composite materials with major practical importance is presented in this study.