Graphene-Skinned Glass Fiber Fabric for Seamless Structural-Functional Integration in Advanced Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are crucial engineering materials.
• Enhancing FRPs with multifunctional properties is an ongoing challenge.
• Graphene offers unique electrical and thermal properties for material functionalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop graphene-skinned glass fiber fabric (GGFF) as a functional reinforcement for FRPs.
• To investigate the integration of GGFF into epoxy resins for advanced composites.
• To evaluate the structural, mechanical, and electrothermal performance of the resulting GGFRP composites.

Main Methods:

• Conformal graphene coating on individual glass fibers within a fabric structure.
• Incorporation of GGFF into epoxy resin using conventional composite manufacturing (e.g., prepreg techniques).
• Characterization of microstructural quality, mechanical properties, and electrothermal performance (response time, temperature uniformity).

Main Results:

• GGFF maintains the flexibility and mechanical integrity of glass fiber fabric (GFF).
• GGFF-epoxy resin systems exhibit superior wettability and impregnation, leading to high-quality GGFRP composites.
• GGFRP composites show comparable mechanical performance to pristine GFRP, achieving structural-functional integration.
• Demonstrated ultrafast electrothermal response (∼139.0 °C s-1) and uniform heating for anti-/de-icing applications.

Conclusions:

• Graphene-skinned fiber provides a viable route for structurally and functionally integrated composites.
• GGFRP composites offer a promising material solution for aerospace, renewable energy, and high-performance engineering.
• The developed material enables low-energy anti-/de-icing functionalities for demanding environments.