Conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet and method for making the same
A method for making a conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet includes the steps of joining a nanomaterial composite sheet, a fiber-reinforcing sheet and a resin system to form a combined sheet, heating the combined sheet, compacting the combined sheet, and cooling the combined sheet to form conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet including the fiber-reinforcing sheet, and the nanomaterial composite sheet coupled to the fiber-reinforcing sheet, wherein the fiber-reinforcing sheet and the nanomaterial composite sheet are embedded in the resin system.
1. A conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet comprising:
a fiber-reinforcing sheet;
a nanomaterial composite sheet coupled to the fiber-reinforcing sheet, wherein the nanomaterial composite sheet comprises:
a nonwoven veil having a first surface and a second surface, opposite the first surface; and
a nonwoven mat of nanomaterials coupled to the first surface of the nonwoven veil; and
a resin system in which the fiber-reinforcing sheet and the nanomaterial composite sheet are embedded.
2. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the fiber-reinforcing sheet comprises carbon fibers.
3. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the fiber-reinforcing sheet is nonwoven.
4. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the fiber-reinforcing sheet comprises a nonwoven carbon fiber sheet.
5. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the fiber-reinforcing sheet comprises a plurality of unidirectional, continuous carbon fiber tows.
6. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nanomaterial composite sheet is electrically conductive along at least one axial direction.
7. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven veil comprises a nonwoven carbon fiber veil.
8. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nanomaterial composite sheet comprises a metallic coating applied to the second surface of the nonwoven veil.
9. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 8 wherein the metallic coating comprises nickel.
10. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 8 wherein the metallic coating is opaque to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency less than 100 MHz.
11. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven mat of nanomaterials is conductive.
12. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven mat of nanomaterials comprises a network of the nanomaterials deposited on and entangled with the first surface of the nonwoven veil.
13. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 12 wherein:
the nonwoven veil is porous;
the network of the nanomaterials is deposited on and entangled with the first surface of the nonwoven veil by filtering a slurry of the nanomaterials through the nonwoven veil; and
at least some of the nanomaterials penetrate through at least a portion of a thickness of the nonwoven veil.
14. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven mat of nanomaterials is opaque to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency greater than 100 MHz.
15. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven mat of nanomaterials comprises at least one of carbon nanomaterials and boron nanomaterials.
16. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein:
the resin system comprises a resin film;
the fiber-reinforcing sheet, the nanomaterial composite sheet, and the resin film are joined to form a combined sheet;
the combined sheet is heated to a temperature in which resin from the resin film begins to flow; and
the combined sheet is compacted to embed the fiber-reinforcing sheet and the nanomaterial composite sheet in the resin system.
17. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 16 wherein the nanomaterial composite sheet is located between the resin film and the fiber-reinforcing sheet in the combined sheet.
18. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein:
the resin system comprises resin pre-impregnated within the fiber-reinforcing sheet;
the fiber-reinforcing sheet and the nanomaterial composite sheet are joined to form a combined sheet;
the combined sheet is heated to a temperature in which the resin begins to flow; and
the combined sheet is compacted to embed the fiber-reinforcing sheet and the nanomaterial composite sheet in the resin system.
19. The conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet of claim 1 wherein the fiber-reinforcing sheet is coupled to the second surface of the nonwoven veil, opposite the nonwoven mat of nanomaterials.
20. A composite structure comprising:
at least one fiber-reinforced polymer sheet; and
a conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet, wherein the conductive pre-impregnated composite sheet comprises:
a fiber-reinforcing sheet;
a nanomaterial composite sheet coupled to the fiber-reinforcing sheet, wherein the nanomaterial composite sheet comprises:
a nonwoven veil having a first surface and a second surface, opposite the first surface; and
a nonwoven mat of nanomaterials coupled to the first surface of the nonwoven veil; and
a resin system in which the fiber-reinforcing sheet and the nanomaterial composite sheet are embedded.