Determination of carbon nanotubes penetration level into epoxy-woven glass fibre composite laminates manufactured with vacuum infusion process via electrical conductivity measurement
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online May, 2023
Determination of carbon nanotubes penetration level into epoxy-woven glass fibre composite laminates manufactured with vacuum infusion process via electrical conductivity measurement
This study investigates the carbon nanotube (CNT) penetration phenomenon in vacuum infusion (VI) process by means of electrical conductivity measurement. Effects of resin temperature, CNT content, and the processing technique on the overall composite laminate quality were investigated by monitoring electrical properties of composite sheets. Epoxy/woven glass fibre composites loaded with various CNT contents were also manufactured using compression moulding and vacuum bagging techniques for comparison purposes. VI was achieved at two different temperatures (25°C and 50°C) to study the effect of variation in viscosity on CNT penetration during infusion. The results showed that electrical conductivity measurement was a very effective tool to assess the CNT penetration state of composite laminates in VI method. Both the resistive and capacitive behaviour in composite laminates due to filtration of CNTs at higher CNT contents was observed. However, the CNT penetration was improved by increasing the temperature of epoxy/CNT mixture before the infusion.
DanielIM, IshaiO.Engineering mechanics of composite materials. 2nd ed.New York: Oxford University Press; 2006.
2.
GojnyFH, WichmannMHG, FiedlerB, Influence of nano-modification on the mechanical and electrical properties of conventional fibre-reinforced composites. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf. 2005; 36: 1525–1535.
3.
WangY, WangY, HanB, In situ strain and damage monitoring of GFRP laminates incorporating carbon nanofibers under tension. Polymers. 2018; 10(7): 777. DOI: 10.3390/polym10070777.
4.
SenisEC, GolosnoyIO, Dulieu-BartonJM, Enhancement of the electrical and thermal properties of unidirectional carbon fibre/epoxy laminates through the addition of graphene oxide. J Mater Sci. 2019; 54: 8955–8970.
5.
RafieeM, NitzscheF, LaliberteJ, Thermal properties of doubly reinforced fiberglass/epoxy composites with graphene nanoplatelets, graphene oxide and reduced-graphene oxide. Compos B Eng. 2019; 164: 1–9.
6.
AhmadMS, SubhaniT.Thermal and ablative properties of binary carbon nanotube and nanodiamond reinforced carbon fibre epoxy matrix composites. Plast, Rubber Compos. 2015; 44: 397–404.
7.
GarciaEJ, WardleBL, John HartA, Fabrication and multifunctional properties of a hybrid laminate with aligned carbon nanotubes grown in situ. Compos Sci Technol. 2008; 68: 2034–2041.
8.
De CiccoD, AsaeeZ, TaheriF.Use of nanoparticles for enhancing the interlaminar properties of fiber-reinforced composites and adhesively bonded joints – a review. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2017; 7 ( 11 ): 360. DOI: 10.3390/nano7110360
9.
ChaiH, WangX, RehmanWU, Study on water absorption and mechanical properties of CNF– Ti reinforced epoxy resin composites. Plast, Rubber Compos. 2023; 52 ( 1 ): 47–58. DOI: 10.1080/14658011.2021.2017127.
10.
YuMF, LourieO, DyerMJ, Strength and breaking mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes under tensile load. Science (1979). 2000; 287: 637–640.
11.
AtesM, EkerAA, EkerB.Carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites and their applications. J Adhes Sci Technol. 2017; 31: 1977–1997.
12.
EbbesenT, AjayanP.Large-scale synthesis of carbon nanotubes. Letters to Nature. 1992; 358: 220–222.
13.
MaengJ, JoG, KimTW, Electrical transport properties of VO2 nanowire field effect transistors. Nano: Brief Reports and Reviews. 2006; 1: 1–13.
14.
KumarA, SharmaK, DixitAR.A review on the mechanical properties of polymer composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes and graphene. Carbon Letters. 2021; 31: 149–165.
15.
ColemanJN, KhanU, Gun'koYK.Mechanical reinforcement of polymers using carbon nanotubes. Adv Mater. 2006; 18 ( 6 ): 689–706. DOI: 10.1002/adma.200501851.
16.
ThostensonET, ChouTW.Carbon nanotube-based health monitoring of mechanically fastened composite joints. Compos Sci Technol. 2008; 68: 2557–2561.
17.
ChakrabortyAK, PlyhmT, BarbezatM, Carbon nanotube (CNT)-epoxy nanocomposites: a systematic investigation of CNT dispersion. J Nanopart Res. 2011; 13: 6493–6506.
18.
KimM, OkoliOI, JackD, Manufacturing process improvement and mechanical modelling of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites. Plast, Rubber Compos. 2013; 42: 210–218.
19.
XinX, QiuZ, LuanX, Novel conductive polymer composites for asphalt pavement structure in situ strain monitoring: influence of CB/CNT and GNP/CNT nano/micro hybrid fillers on strain sensing behavior. IEEE Sens J. 2022; 22: 3945–3956.
20.
WangQ, SuDS, WangD-Y.Carbon nanotube/epoxy composites for improved fire safety. ACS Appl Nano Mater. 2020; 3: 4253–4264.
21.
BaltzisD, OrfanidisS, LekatouA, Stainless steel coupled with carbon nanotube-modified epoxy and carbon fibre composites: electrochemical and mechanical study. Plast, Rubber Compos. 2016; 45: 95–105.
22.
WicksSS, de VilloriaRG, WardleBL.Interlaminar and intralaminar reinforcement of composite laminates with aligned carbon nanotubes. Compos Sci Technol. 2010; 70: 20–28.
23.
GalloGJ, ThostensonET.Electrical characterization and modeling of carbon nanotube and carbon fiber self-sensing composites for enhanced sensing of microcracks. Mater Today Commun. 2015; 3: 17–26.
24.
Jiménez-SuárezA, CampoM, ProlongoSG, Effect of filtration in functionalized and non-functionalized CNTs and surface modification of fibers as an effective alternative approach. Compos B Eng. 2016; 94: 286–291.
25.
VietsC, KaysserS, SchulteK.Damage mapping of GFRP via electrical resistance measurements using nanocomposite epoxy matrix systems. Compos B Eng. 2014; 65: 80–88.
26.
GaoL, ThostensonET, ZhangZ, Damage monitoring in fiber-reinforced composites under fatigue loading using carbon nanotube networks. Philos Mag. 2010; 90: 4085–4099.
GuadagnoL, De VivoB, Di BartolomeoA, Effect of functionalization on the thermo-mechanical and electrical behavior of multi-wall carbon nanotube/epoxy composites. Carbon.2011; 49: 1919–1930. DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2011.01.017.
34.
ThostensonET, RenZ, ChouTW.Advances in the science and technology of carbon nanotubes and their composites: a review. Compos Sci Technol.2001; 61: 1899–1912. DOI: 10.1016/S0266-3538(01)00094-X.
35.
ChenWX, LiF, HanG, Tribological behavior of carbon-nanotube-filled PTFE composites. Tribol Lett. 2003; 15: 275–278.
36.
SongYS, YounJR.Influence of dispersion states of carbon nanotubes on physical properties of epoxy nanocomposites. Carbon N Y. 2005; 43: 1378–1385.
LionettoF, MoscatelloA, TotaroG, Experimental and numerical study of vacuum resin infusion of stiffened carbon fiber reinforced panels. Materials (Basel). 2020; 13: 1–17.
40.
Reia Da CostaEF, SkordosAA, PartridgeIK, RTM processing and electrical performance of carbon nanotube modified epoxy/fibre composites. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf. 2012; 43: 593–602.
41.
YourdkhaniM, LiuW, Baril-GosselinS, Carbon nanotube-reinforced carbon fibre-epoxy composites manufactured by resin film infusion. Compos Sci Technol. 2018; 166: 169–175.
42.
ZhangH, LiuY, HuoS, Filtration effects of graphene nanoplatelets in resin infusion processes: problems and possible solutions. Compos Sci Technol. 2017; 139: 138–145.
43.
LouisBM, MaldonadoJ, KlunkerF, Particle distribution from in-plane resin flow in a resin transfer molding process. Polym Eng Sci. 2019; 59: 22–34.
44.
Reia da CostaEF, SkordosAA.Modelling flow and filtration in liquid composite moulding of nanoparticle loaded thermosets. Compos Sci Technol. 2012; 72: 799–805.
45.
TuranF, GucluM, GurkanK, The effect of carbon nanotubes loading and processing parameters on the electrical, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties of epoxy-based composites. J Braz Soc Mech Sci Eng. 2022; 44, 93. DOI: 10.1007/s40430-022-03393-2.
46.
ThostensonET, ChouTW.Real-time in situ sensing of damage evolution in advanced fiber composites using carbon nanotube networks. Nanotechnology. 2008; 19(21), 215713. DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/19/21/215713.
