PFI-TT: High-Volume Manufacturing of Next Generation Carbon Reinforced Pre-Impregnated Polymer Composites

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to make next generation, high-performance carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites available to broad commercial segments such as the sporting goods, automotive, and aerospace industries. Conventional CFRP materials, usually used in laminate form, give excellent engineering performance thanks to low weight and the superior strength provided by advanced carbon fibers. However, mechanical, electrical, and thermal weaknesses inherited from the polymer matrix substantially limit their potential compared with metals in many applications. The next generation CFRP materials demonstrate multiple notable improvements in in those properties, giving significantly better multifunctional performance that can be better tailored to the applications, compared to current CFRP and film adhesive products. Hence, the general quality of living (e.g., recreation, transportation, safety, comfort, energy efficiency, and environmental-sustainability) will be enhanced. These new materials may also contribute to expanding the envelope of the nation’s space exploration and defense missions. The volume-manufacturing development and associated industrial collaboration will increase the usage and market size of CFRP in replacing additional metallic parts and enabling novel applications and technologies.The project seeks to develop roll-to-roll manufacturing of novel nanofibers z-threaded CFRP products (prepreg and film adhesive). The researchers will launch commercialization activities to realize the nanomaterial's full potential in CFRP components. In this new composite, carbon nanofibers zigzag thread between the conventional carbon fibers. The resulting interlocking network strongly reinforces the material, distributing the mechanical, electrical, and thermal loads in all directions inside the composite. As a result, z-threaded CFRP is stronger and more comprehensively capable with tailorable multifunctional properties than conventional CFRP. Nano-resin film adhesive, an intermediate product and precursor of the z-threaded CFRP prepreg, allows customers to create their own prepreg using any fabric of their own proprietary design, or simply to bond two objects together with improved heat and electricity transfer. Thermal-fluidic principles and electric-field induced nanofiber orientation dynamics will be utilized in the innovative manufacturing process. The physical characteristics associated with the products will be exploited for quality control. Interaction with industrial collaborators will allow the team to understand each market’s engineering needs and ecosystems and assist the industries to realize more innovative products using the significantly advantageous next generation CFRP technology.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.