Designing advanced structural composites based on mechanical performances analysis of the variable topology spacecrafts

Abstract

Increasingly complex space operations require novel advanced structural composites for reconfigurable spacecrafts to have excellent flexural strength in reconfiguration processing and orbital maneuvering. Functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are performed to fabricate the MWCNTs/carbon fiber/N, N′‐4, 4′‐bimaleimide diphenyl methane/diallylbisphenol A (MWCNTs/CF/BMI/DBA) composites. ANSYS analysis reveals that the requiring lowest flexural strength of the composites is 1,150 MPa to meet actual requirements. The flexural strength of the MWCNTs/CF/BMI/DBA composites with 1 wt% functionalized MWCNTs can fully meet the actual use for reconfigurable spacecrafts. And the thermal stabilities of the MWCNTs/CF/BMI/DBA composites are increased with the increasing addition of MWCNTs. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:2018–2022, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers