A novel 3D woven carbon fiber composite with super interlayer performance hybridized by CNT tape and copper wire simultaneously

In this work, a novel binary hybrid woven carbon nanotube (CNT) tape/copper wire carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite is prepared. The mode I interlaminar fracture toughness (G (IC)) is employed to critically evaluate the delamination performance. A comparison of the G (IC) value with that of the carbon fiber reinforced composite confirms that incorporating CNT tapes and copper wires into the composite increases the value by 263%. In the transverse and through-thickness direction, the conductivity of the laminate increases to 458 and 193 S/m, which is increased by 196 and 675%, respectively. The thermal conductivity along the thickness direction is increased to 2.27 W/m K, an increase of 134%. The volume fraction of CNT tapes and copper wire are as low as approximately 0.87 and 0.47 vol%, respectively. 3D woven composites have potential applications in high-performance structures and lightning striking protection such as aircraft, ships, and engines, which benefits by the innovative through-thickness implantation of composites using CNT tape and copper wire.