Multifunctional Performance of a Nano-Modified Fiber Reinforced Composite Aeronautical Panel

The adoption of multifunctional flame-resistant composites is becoming increasingly attractive for many components of aircrafts and competition cars. Compared to conventional alloy solutions, the reduced weight and corrosion resistance are only a couple of the relevant advantages they can offer. In this paper, a carbon fiber reinforced panel (CFRP) was impregnated with an epoxy resin enhanced using a combination of 0.5 wt% of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and 5 wt% of Glycidyl-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (GPOSS). This formulation, which is peculiar to resins with increased electrical conductivity and flame-resistance properties, has been employed for manufacturing a carbon fiber reinforced panel (CFRP) composed of eight plies through a liquid infusion technique. Vibro-acoustic tests have been performed on the panel for the characterization of the damping performance, as well the transmission loss properties related to micro-handling treatments. The spectral excitation has been provided by an acoustic source simulating the aerodynamic pressure load agent on the structure. The incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNTs in the epoxy matrix determines a non-trivial improvement in the dynamic performance of the laminate. An increased damping loss factor with reference to standard CFRP laminate and also an improvement of the sound insulation parameter was found for the specific test article.