Delamination in carbon-fibre composites improved with in situ grown nanofibres

Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness is investigated for a carbon-fibre composite toughened by nanofibres grown on the woven fabric reinforcement. For a comparison, the same is studied for the normal (non-toughened) composite. The test data show that the nanofibres significantly increase the fracture toughness, in combination with epoxy or PPS resin. This improvement is attributed to a better fibre–matrix interface as well as to local reinforcement of the matrix by nanofibres.

► The textile composites can successfully be toughened by in situ grown CNFs. ► Improvements may be related to the nano-reinforcement of the matrix material. ► Improvements depend on the amount of CNFs, the used matrix material, and Vf. ► For the tested composite, improvement in GIC reaches 100%, for the optimal CNF wt.%.