Page 8 - MODCOMP Newsletter no. 6

Newsletter, Volume 6

Multiscale carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites

Multiscale carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites showing enhanced multi-functionality and
mechanical performance were successfully prepared in the scope of MODCOMP project through the
incorporation of carbon-based nanomaterials having different dimensionalities and geometries into
thermoset polymers.

The doped resin, with one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional (2D) graphene nano-
platelets or combinations of both, was further used to produce unidirectional pre-impregnated materials
and their composite laminates. The results attained in the framework of MODCOMP project showed that
higher electrical conductivities are typically achieved using pristine carbon nanotubes (p-CNTs). Since a
key step on the processing of continuous carbon fibres (CF) is to ensure a good impregnation of the
doped resin on the reinforcement, p-CNTs were also combined with graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) aim-
ing at decreasing their influence on the shear viscosity and exploring synergetic effects.

Novel morphologies at the nanoscale were developed, allowing the control of the fracture behavior of
CFRP composites by introducing additional en-
ergy dissipation mechanisms and improving their
overall damage tolerance. The interlaminar frac-
ture toughness under mode I loading, GIC, which
is one of the most crucial properties of composite
laminates, of modified CFRP composites with
GnPs showed a remarkable improvement of 70
%. In addition, functionalized CNTs (f-CNTs) with
tailored interfaces also showed an enhancement
of 44 % for GIC at ultralow contents (0.043 wt. %)
that is so far the best reported value in the liter-
ature.
These results are in part reproduced at: Raquel M. Santos, Diogo Vale, Jessica Rocha, Carla Martins, Sacha
T. Mould, Nuno Rocha. Multiscale carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites containing carbon
nanotubes with tailored interfaces. Special Issue – Engineering Against Failure, Fatigue & Fracture of En-
gineering Materials and Surfaces, Wiley 2019 (DOI: 10.1111/ffe.13006).

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