Background
The main advantage of composites and nanocomposites, in addition to their high specific strength and stiffness, is their ability to be tailored towards a specific loading condition, i.e., placing the load carrying fibers (or, e.g., Carbon Nanotubes, CNTs) where the loads and stresses are. Traditional composites designed for in-plane loading utilize, e.g., unidirectional tapes or bi‑directional woven fabrics which could handle in‑plane loading and stresses. However, intralaminar and interlaminar stresses (especially in between the composite layers in a laminate) become a major problem for these configurations under various loading conditions, resulting in failures such as delamination.
Overview
Researchers at the University of Hawaii invented 3‑dimensionally reinforced nanocomposites exhibiting much needed improvement in through‑the‑thickness and in-plane properties. The reinforcement is achieved by growing directionally‑aligned carbon nanotubes along the surface of a two‑dimensional fiber cloth. This patented invention introduces multifunctional capabilities to nanocomposites and enhances the needed interlaminar and intralaminar properties preventing or delaying delamination failures, among other Benefits & Improvements.
Benefits & Improvements
3D reinforced nanocomposites demonstrate many advantages over traditional composites and nanocomposites:
Applications