NASA's Carbon Fiber-Carbon Nanotube Yarn Hybrid Reinforcement Webinar
Innovators at the NASA Glenn Research Center have developed a toughened hybrid reinforcement material made from carbon fiber and carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn for use in polymer matrix composites (PMCs). The new material improves toughness and damping properties of PMCs, enhancing impact resistance, fatigue life, and structural longevity. Historically, PMCs have provided insufficient toughness for some aerospace structures. Rubber toughening agents and thermoplastics are often employed to increase material toughness, but such additives increase viscosity of polymer resins and increase processing difficulty and cost. Other reinforcements like aramids exist, but also have inherent issues (e.g., Kevlar absorbs moisture which adds weight and is susceptible to degradation upon UV exposure). NASA's new carbon fiber-CNT yarn hybrid material displays excellent toughness and strength for reinforcing PMC materials while also mitigating issues associated with current hybrid reinforcements like rubber, thermoplastics, and aramids.
During the webinar, you will learn much more about this novel technology, as well as how NASA’s technologies and capabilities are available to industry and other organizations through the NASA Technology Transfer Program.
Dr. Tiffany Williams is a Research Chemical Engineer in the Materials Chemistry and Physics Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center. She joined the NASA workforce in 2010 where she has worked as a materials scientist developing next-generation aerospace composites, electrical insulation, textiles, and smart polymers. Her current research interests include developing lightweight, multi-functional materials and nature-inspired materials for space applications and more efficient aircraft. She has served as a member of the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society, the American Chemical Society, and the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE). Dr. Williams has been a recipient of the Cleveland National Technical Association Nsoroma Science award, BEYA’s Modern-Day Technology Leader Award, and the Women of Color in STEM “Rising Technology All-Star” Award. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Materials Science and Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, both from Tuskegee University and a Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
