Tomographic Electrical Resistance-based Damage Sensing in Nano-Engineered Composite Structures

Abstract

Aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being investigated as a means for enhancing structural performance of composite structures. Inherent in introducing CNTs into existing polymer-matrix composites are new multifunctional attributes such as significantly enhanced electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity that may be used for damage sensing and inspection. Here, fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix laminates with aligned CNTs grown in-situ are coupled with a non-invasive sensing scheme utilizing the enhanced electrical conductivity of the laminates to infer damage based on resistance changes. The laminates contain long (~10 micron) aligned CNTs throughout the woven plies of the laminate, including at the ply interfaces. Electrodes are written onto the laminate surfaces using a direct-write process, and 3D damage inspection (in-plane and through-thickness) is demonstrated for impacted composite plates.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA518170

Entities

People

  • Ajay Raghavan
  • Brian Wardle
  • Roberto Guzmán de Villoria
  • Seth S. Kessler
  • Sunny S. Wicks

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biocomposites
  • Carbon Nanotubes
  • Chemical Vapor Deposition
  • Composite Materials
  • Composite Structures
  • Electrical Conductivity
  • Electrical Resistance
  • Fiber Reinforced Polymers
  • Laminates
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Polymer Matrix Composites
  • Reinforced Plastics
  • Resistance
  • Structural Health Monitoring

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Facility/Structural Engineering.
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Structural Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML