Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Enhanced Carbon Fibres
topic
Carbon nanotube and graphene incorporation into PAN precursor spinning dope or as surface-grown interfaces on carbon fibre aims to improve composite interlaminar shear strength and mode I fracture toughness by bridging matrix crack propagation at the nanoscale, with CNT-grafted carbon fibres showing up to 60 percent improvement in interfacial shear strength in single fibre pullout tests versus unsized fibres.
Role
Addresses the fundamental weakness of conventional carbon fibre composites in interlaminar fracture toughness and impact damage resistance by introducing nano-scale reinforcement at the fibre-matrix interface, potentially enabling thinner and lighter composite structures with improved damage tolerance for aerospace and automotive applications if scale-up and cost challenges are resolved.