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

基于定向纤维的复合材料现在已经被设计到可以根据特定应用定制热膨胀系数的程度。尤其涉及最小化与连接材料的不同膨胀相关的热应力。然而，电子设备的一个应用领域是对小型化的持续推动，这意味着材料的尺寸被缩小到接近其中纤维的尺寸，从而损害了它们的结构。剑桥大学最近的发展导致了基于碳纳米管的纤维组件的可获得性，其中的关键元素将是传统纤维规模的大约1/100。这个原则证明项目的目标是由碳纳米管和环氧树脂制备定向复合材料，获得与常规标准纤维复合材料相似的CTE各向异性，然后测量能够实现所需性能的最小材料体积。

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.