Carbon nanotube yarns for composite material load and damage detection

Abstract

Consulta en la Biblioteca ETSI Industriales (9026)

[EN] In this work, the potential of a new based ultra-long multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn for sensing stress/strain and damage detection in fiber reinforced polymers is investigated. The mentioned CNT yarn is a new material not completely characterized yet, provided by the research group at Inoue Shizuoka University in Johoku Hamamatsu in Japan. Therefore the yarn itself will be characterized in detail, especially with regard to the relationship of electrical and mechanical behavior. It will then be incorporated into different conventional composite test samples. While these are tested, the electrical signal will be recorded as to be able to determine load, damage or failure mode in various test scenarios. Consequently the work is divided in two main parts. First a basic fiber characterization and preliminary experiments are made to characterize fundamental mechanical and electrical properties and their relationship. Furthermore critical influences on these properties, like temperature, weight, potential and current or strain are assessed. After getting to know the fibers itself, nanocomposite and glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) test samples are produced. The fibers were embedded in both systems trying to minimize the necessary amount of carbon nanotube yarn (CNTY). The potential of the CNT yarn as a sensor of damage detection in composite materials and their possible future use in health monitoring applications is demonstrated.