Cost-effective Manufacturing of Nanocomposite Steel Wire for Arresting Gear Purchase Cable

This proposal seeks to deliver on the DOD objective to produce carbon-nanotube steel composite wires with manufacturing volumes sufficient to manufacture arresting gear purchase cables at a cost that is comparable to steel-only cables. A novel, cost-effective technology is proposed to use multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) produced via a rapid, environmentally benign route to control the diameter, length, and the purity to be integrated with extra improved plow (AISI 1085) steel.  In the Phase I project, Texas Biochemicals Inc. will manufacture a cored wire consisting of a steel sheath filled with MWCNT. Cored wire production is a mature technology for fabricating weld wire, and will protect the MWCNT from oxidization during subsequent thermo-mechanical processing. Thermo-mechanical processing via rod rolling and swaging will be used to hot-work the MWCNT into the surrounding steel.  The amount of cold work and the temperature will be increased to produce a homogeneous CNT-steel composite as low as temperature (~ 400°C). Collaboration with a prime contractor is established to provide technical guidance, validate the CNT-steel composite mechanical properties, and produce a sub-scale arresting-gear purchase cable cost-effectively. Their input is described in the Phase I tasks and their letter of support demonstrates their intention to be a partner leading to a commercialization pathway.