Load and health monitoring in glass fibre reinforced composites with an electrically conductive nanocomposite epoxy matrix

Abstract

. Load and health monitoring in glass fibre reinforced composites with an electrically conductive nanocomposite epoxy matrix. Composites Science and Technology, Elsevier, 2009, 68 (7-8) In this work a new approach for condition monitoring was investigated, which, unlike other attempts, does not require additional sensors, but instead is performed directly by the measurement of a material property of the FRP. An epoxy resin was modified with two different types of carbon nanotubes and with carbon black, in order to achieve an electrical conductivity. Glass fibre reinforced composites (GFRP) were produced with these modified epoxies by resin transfer moulding (RTM). Specimens were cut from the produced materials and tested by incremental tensile tests and fatigue tests and the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) was measured. During the mechanical tests the electrical conductivity of all specimens was monitored simultaneously, to assess the potential for stress/strain and damage monitoring. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 2The results presented in this work, show a high potential for both, damage and load detection of FRP structures via electrical conductivity methods, involving a nanocomposite matrix.

Structural health monitoring capabilities in ceramic–carbon nanocomposites

“…However, many of the developed and available NDE technologies are complex, expensive and require significant calibration with the passage of time. Nanostructured carbon embedded polymeric systems have proven to be more sensitive towards structural damage [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. However, the concept of self-sensing structural materials involving different types of carbon nanofillers is yet to be explored for ceramic composites, which is the subject of this research.…”

“…Most of the previous researched methods incorporating carbon nanofillers were based on the sensing of damage of long-fibre or woven reinforced brittle polymers [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Classifying cement as ceramics, damage sensing has been achieved in various studies with the incorporation of short carbon whiskers [20][21][22].…”

“…Particularly among ceramic based materials, CNTs have been reported to significantly improve mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the ceramic nanocomposites [10]. For polymeric systems, carbon nanofillers have also proved to be very attractive because they offer structural damage sensing ability and the subject has been widely investigated [11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Comparison of structural health assessment capabilities in epoxy – carbon black and epoxy – carbon nanotube nanocomposites

“…Particularly among brittle epoxy materials, CNTs have been reported to significantly improve mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the epoxy nanocomposites [9]. Apart from these improvements, CNTs also offer structural damage sensing ability to epoxy and the subject has been widely investigated [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] too. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a type of a Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) technique that essentially involves the strategic embedding of conductive filler into a structure to allow continuous and remote monitoring for damage, deformation and failure.…”

“…Nanostructured carbon embedded systems have proven to be more sensitive towards structural damage [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Most of the previous researched methods incorporating CNTs were based on the sensing of damage of long-fibre or woven reinforced epoxy [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] or for other brittle matrices like cement for civil structures [19].…”