Mechanical properties of carbon nanotube/carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite

TLDR

The authors fabricated a CNT/CF hybrid fiber by sizing unsized CF tow with a CNT-containing agent, reinforced a thermoplastic polymer into a multiscale composite, characterized its mechanical properties, and examined the reinforcing mechanism via impact fracture morphology. The multiscale composite exhibited a 115.4 % increase in interlaminar shear strength and a 27.0 % increase in impact toughness compared to the base composite. Polym.

Abstract

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/carbon fiber (CF) hybrid fiber was fabricated by sizing unsized CF tow with a sizing agent containing CNT. The hybrid fiber was used to reinforce a thermoplastic polymer to prepare multiscale composite. The mechanical properties of the multiscale composite were characterized. Compared with the base composite (traditional commercial CF), the multiscale composite reinforced by the CNT/CF hybrid fiber shows increases in interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and impact toughness. Laminate containing CNTs showed a 115.4% increase in ILSS and 27.0% increase in impact toughness. The reinforcing mechanism was also discussed by observing the impact fracture morphology. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2001–2008, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers