Radiation and electrostatic resistance for ultra-stable polymer composites reinforced with carbon fibers

Future space travel needs ultra-lightweight and robust structural materials that can withstand extreme conditions with multiple entry points to orbit to ensure mission reliability. This is unattainable with current inorganic materials. Ultra-highly stable carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) hav...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science advances 2023-03, Vol.9 (11), p.eadd6947-eadd6947
Main Authors: Delkowski, Michal, Smith, Christopher T G, Anguita, José V, Silva, S Ravi P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Materials Science
Physical and Materials Sciences
SciAdv r-articles
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Summary:Future space travel needs ultra-lightweight and robust structural materials that can withstand extreme conditions with multiple entry points to orbit to ensure mission reliability. This is unattainable with current inorganic materials. Ultra-highly stable carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have shown susceptibility to environmental instabilities and electrostatic discharge, thereby limiting the full lightweight potential of CFRP. A more robust and improved CFRP is needed in order to improve space travel and structural engineering further. Here, we address these challenges and present a superlattice nano-barrier-enhanced CFRP with a density of ~3.18 g/cm that blends within the mechanical properties of the CFRP, thus becoming part of the composite itself. We demonstrate composites with enhanced radiation resistance coupled with electrical conductivity (3.2 × 10 ohm⋅m), while ensuring ultra-dimensionally stable physical properties even after temperature cycles from 77 to 573 K.
ISSN:2375-2548
2375-2548
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.add6947