SBIR Phase I:CNT-Enhanced carbon fiber structural composite with high performance and spec-tunability

The broader impact of this SBIR Phase I project will be materials that are lighter weight, tougher and more durable than existing carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites. This will allow companies incorporating these materials into their products to save energy by making products and vehicles that are lighter weight and also to improve range and fuel economy which will subsequently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In aerospace applications payloads will be reduced saving both money and energy. In defense applications, tougher materials will improve reliability and reduce field repairs, which can be dangerous. In all these applications, the likelihood of catastrophic failures is reduced.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will enhance the strength of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) by improving the fiber/matrix integration and developing an interlayer (sizing layer) to protect CFRPs from being broken down by stress accumulated at the interface. This project will minimize or eliminate the interfacial weak points by using a patented surface engineering process. The process functionalizes the surface of the carbon fibers and dramatically promotes the wettability of the matrix resin on the fiber surface. The principal technical objective is to develop a surface engineering process that will improve the fiber/matrix wettability. Distinguished from the reported methods, the proposed surface engineering will process fibers larger than 100 mm in any dimension and more than five plies per load. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) will be added to the sizing polymer to facilitate stress transfer between the carbon fiber reinforcements and the matrix.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.