Nanotechnology for novel High-performance Composites - Manufacturing, Characterization and Application

An innovative way to compensate the deficits of composites (FRP) produced by the well-established injection technique (LRI) compared to the prepreg technique was found at the DLR Institute for Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems. The improvement of the composite quality by using nanocomposites was tested with the Single Line Injection technique (SLI). A closer look was taken at an epoxy resin filled with nanosized silicon dioxide (SiO2). With SiO2 the stiffness and strength could be improved significantly compared to the neat resin. In addition, the resin shrinkage could be considerably reduced and thermal conductivity increased. The nanocomposites remained still injectable and the density of the nanocomposites was maintained at an almost constant level (lightweight aspect). The results could be transferred to fibre-reinforced composites made with the SLI technique. Particularly the significant increase of the Young’s modulus and its high linearity in the stress-strain diagram led to reduction of the inter-fibre fractures and improvement of the overall material performance in comparison to unfilled fibre composite and opens therefore new fields for aerospace applications