Program Manager: Dr. Leo Christodoulou
The Next Generation Super Carbon Fiber Program leverages the emerging developments in nanotechnology to develop a high-strength and high-stiffness structural carbon fiber. Carbon fibers are used in many U.S. weapon system applications such as rocket motors and aircraft wings. However, the carbon fiber used by today’s systems was developed in the late 1980’s and the technology has essentially reached a technical plateau. The goal of this program is to develop a fiber that offers at least a 50-percent increase in strength and stiffness. Early program activities have shown that single walled carbon nano-tubes, when included in a continuous carbon fiber, offer the potential to achieve these objectives. The program will examine and mature several approaches to incorporate carbon nano-tubes into continuous carbon fiber. Carbon filaments will be manufactured and tested to demonstrate the material’s potential.
|
