Multifunctional properties of carbon nanotube yarn/aerogel laminate composites

Abstract

This work explores the multifunctional performance of scalable carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn laminate composites. Tensile, thermal, electrical, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties are compared to state-of-the-art unidirectional IM7/5250-4 carbon fiber composite (CFRP). CNT laminates achieved a specific tensile modulus of 249.7 ± 22.3 GPa/(g/cm3), which is over double the specific modulus of the CFRP, while maintaining a specific tensile strength of 1.88 ± 0.17 GPa/(g/cm3) which is comparable to the CFRP. CNT yarn laminates demonstrated superior thermal transport properties, with in-plane thermal conductivity of 75.78 ± 14.3 W/mK, over 13 times higher than the CFRP. CNT yarn laminates were also superior in electrical conductivity, achieving a longitudinal conductivity of 5359 ± 417 S/cm and transverse conductivity of 36.87 ± 2.55 S/cm. This translated to superior EMI shielding properties, achieving over 100 dB in the X-band, which is nearly double that of the CFRP. Incorporating CNT aerogel interwoven between CNT yarns reduced the large property variance observed in the measurements, demonstrating a multifunctional material with tensile, thermal, electrical, and EMI properties superior to the CFRP, while potentially mitigating the scalability challenges inherent to CNT nanomaterials.