Conductive Resin Systems for Aircraft Composite Structures

This Phase II SBIR program seeks to create nanofiber reinforced polymer composites with superior properties for use in aircraft applications. Property targets include electrical conductivity of 25 S/cm and thermal conductivity of 50 W/m-K, withoutdegradation in mechanical properties. Materials to be used include low cost carbon nanofibers, metal-coated carbon nanofibers, and a variety of thermoset and thermoplastic matrices. In Phase I research, innovative dispersion techniques, low shear meltprocessing, and in situ polymerization techniques demonstrated feasibility for maximizing nanofiber aspect ratio in composites of both thermoplastic and thermoset resins. In the Phase II effort, these methods will be optimized, and composite articles willbe generated for test and evaluation. Promising materials will be delivered to the Air Force for evaluation, and pursued for scale up of production methods. Materials produced under the program will find application in structural materials (eitherdirectly, or as an enhanced matrix material for use in combination with other fiber reinforced composite technologies) for airframes with dual functionality, such as EMI suppression and lightning strike mitigation. Some materials may also be appropriatefor electronic packaging and thermal management applications.