Nano-Enhanced CFRP with Improved Thermal Conductivity

Composite materials are attractive to the Army for numerous applications in order to reduce weight compared to metallic structures. However, the low thermal conductivity of composites have limited the insertion of composites in applications where poor thermal management threatens critical electronics components. The U.S. Army is seeking advances in composites materials that can enhance the thermal conductivity of the composites materials without negatively impacting the structural characteristics or significantly increasing the cost. Applied Sciences, Inc. (ASI) has developed a carbon nanomaterial sheetgood (CNF Mat), which has demonstrated the ability to enhance the thermal conductivity of structural CFRP composites by an order of magnitude, without significantly affecting the mechanical properties of the composite, and enabling over 25% reduction in weight compared to a baseline composite. The CNF Mat material is readily scalable and is projected to be a low production cost. ASI proposes to further develop and optimize the CNF Mat, fabricate and test prototype composite components, and develop a detailed cost model and scale-up plans. The resulting material will be a prospective disruptive materials technology that will enable CFRP composites to be considered for numerous applications that were previously reserved only for metallic structures.