Three-dimensional multifunctional hierarchical nanocomposites: multifunctional materials

Abstract

Traditional 1-D and 2-D composite materials have excellent in-plane properties. However, they are susceptible to interlaminar crack and crack growth leading to delaminations and catastrophic failure of the composite structures. To remedy these problems, researchers have developed 3-D composites using through-the-thickness stitching and/or braiding. However, these two techniques have their own problems. For braiding, the part thickness should be known a priori, which is not practical. Besides the fiber architecture is not arranged orthogonally. For the stitching, it has been shown that while through-the-thickness properties increase, in-plane properties decrease. Here, we explain a novel technique, developed by the authors and co-workers, to develop 3-D multifunctional hierarchical nanocomposites with superior properties. In this approach, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are grown vertically over 2-D microfiber woven fabric cloth, without altering the 2-D cloth architecture, to create nano-forests coating of MWCNTs in the thickness direction to yield 3-D orthogonal fiber architechture. The 3-D nano-forest woven cloths are later impregnated with the resins and are subsequently stacked, vacuum bagged, and cured to give 3-D multifunctional hierarchical nanocomposites. Since MWCNTs have superior mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, the hierarchically developed 3-D multifunctional nanocomposites have enhanced mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, damping, and electrical properties by many folds.