Carbon nanotube-grafted quartz fibers as piezoresistive reinforcement elements
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
The mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites depend on the properties of the fiber/matrix interface where stress concentrations dominate. Grafting of carbon nanotubes to produce a “hairy” or “fuzzy” carbon fiber creates hierarchical reinforcements, combining two different reinforcement length scales, in this instance micrometer and nanometer. This approach improves the interaction between fibers and polymer matrices, and can enhance thermal and electrical functionality of the final composite. Generally, hairy fiber production is limited to batch processes due to harsh synthesis conditions (e.g. high temperature, inert environment) inherent to chemical vapor deposition, and have only recently been scaled-up to continuous production. The development of hierarchical assemblies, which are the combination of reinforcements at different length scales for instance nanoscale and microscale, have shown promise as multifunctional and structural state-of-the-art materials. The concept of using carbon nano-reinforcements with macroscopic fibers (quartz in this occasion) can directly address the limitations of current composites architectures, e.g. catastrophic failure, limited fire retardancy properties, and poor electro-thermal performances. Continuous production of such hierarchical materials, as a result of research carried out at Imperial College London and the University of Vienna, allows nano-engineered composites to finally meet industry implementation prerequisites. These methods are also compatible with commercial fiber production lines, which is a significant step forward towards the creation of a new class of high performance composite materials. Carbon nanotube-grafted-quartz fibers with uniform 200 nm long carbon nanotubes improved interfacial shear strength of 12% over a commercially sized counterpart (pull-out tests) in an epoxy matrix. Quartz fiber reinforced composites are normally electrically insulating, yet the carbon nanotube-grafted reinforcement allows a conductive pathway to prevail directionally (primarily parallel to the fiber's axis). This imbued electroconductivity was exploited for structural health monitoring, demonstrating a linear piezoresistive response and strain gauge sensitivity of 3.64.
Date Issued
2024-02-13
Date Acceptance
2023-05-05
Citation
ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials, 2024, pp.1-7
Start Page
1
End Page
7
Journal / Book Title
ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Queen's University Belfast.
Source
Twenty-third International Conference on Composite Materials [ICCM23]
Subjects
Carbon nanotubes
Quartz fibers
Piezoresistive
Publication Status
Published
Start Date
2023-07-30
Finish Date
2023-08-04
Coverage Spatial
Belfast, UK
Date Publish Online
2024-02-13