Controlling the thermal expansion coefficient of microscale components using nanoscale fillers.

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Composite materials based on aligned fibres have now been engineered to the point that thermal expansion coefficients can be tailored for specific applications. In particular towards the minimisation of thermal stresses associated with differential expansion of joined materials. One area of application is in electronic devices, however, the continual drive to miniaturisation, means that the dimensions of the material are scaled down close to those of the fibres within them thus compromising their structure. Recent developments in Cambridge have led to the availability of carbon nanotube based fibrous assemblies in which the key elements will be approximately 1/100 th of the scale of conventional fibres. The objective of this proof of principle project is to fabricate aligned composites from carbon nanotubes and epoxy resin, to achieve CTE anisotropies similar to that achieved in regular standard fibre composites and then measure the smallest volume of material in which the desired properties can be achieved.