Tectonics

Composite number

Biology

Materials science

Graphene

Operating system

Computer science

Subduction

Carbon fibers

Toughening

Paleontology

Nanotechnology

Carbon nanotube

Fracture toughness

Composite material

Fracture (geology)

Delamination (geology)

Mode (computer interface)

Toughness

Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing

Through-thickness reinforcements using z-pins is a highly effective method for increasing the delamination resistance of fibre-polymer laminates. Here we report a hierarchical approach of incoporating carbon nanofillers and z-pins to further improve delamination toughness. The nanofillers include one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanofillers (e.g. carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibres) or two-dimensional (2D) nanofillers (i.e. graphene nanoplatelets). Results of the interlaminar fracture toughness reveal that 1D nanofillers induce synergistic (i.e. greater-than-additive) improvements to both modes I and II delamination resistance of z-pinned laminates, whereas the 2D nanofiller show virtually no effect. Observations of the z-pin pull-out surfaces and the fracture surfaces reveal the main mechanisms why 1D nanofillers create a synergistic toughening effect, but not the 2D nanofillers.

Hierarchical mode I and mode II interlaminar toughening of Z-pinned composites using 1D and 2D carbon nanofillers