Enhanced flexural strength of carbon nanotubes-glass fiber epoxy composite laminates using an electrospray deposition technique

The electrospray deposition technique (ESD) was used to coat carbon nanotubes (CNTs) uniformly on the surface of glass fiber (GF) and to increase the flexural strength of CNTs-GF epoxy composite laminate. The deposition of CNTs on the GF surface has been optimized by the applied voltage and spray time. The deposited CNTs on the GF surface showed a well dispersed and homogeneous coating. Implementing optimized ESD in the fabrication of composite laminate caused a 25.26% to 59.28% improvement of flexural performance in CNTs-GF composite laminate. The dispersion of CNTs was characterized by using a digital microscope, a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The result revealed that the applied voltage had an impact on the well-dispersed coated CNTs, while the spray time affected the flexural output.

Automated summary

The electrospray deposition technique was used to uniformly coat carbon nanotubes on the surface of glass fiber to enhance the flexural strength of composite laminate. Optimizing the deposition of CNTs on the GF surface led to significant improvements in the flexural performance of the composite laminate, with well-dispersed and homogeneous coatings observed. The applied voltage and spray time were found to affect the dispersion of CNTs and the flexural output, respectively.