What about carbon nanotubes? Has anyone used them? They claim to give extra strength to the final product is mixed well to the resin in a 2-3 per cent proportion. They increase strength in directions lacking reinforcement and prevent delamination.
Do you recommend them? Are they worth the extra cost?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Types_of_Carbon_Nanotubes.png
A few guys on here have worked with them. Not really for the hobiest at the moment, still pretty cool.
right now someone here is researching on how well it infuses. There are issues with clumping of the tubes around objects, and they have methods of dispersion using ultrasound. Along with that, when infusing, it tends to filter through the fibers, leaving some parts uncovered. Nano partials are hard to work with. THAT, and the toxicity it has just by opening the container. Even sub-micron powders are bad!
ps: use 3D fibers to stop delaminations, or a good thermoplastic/set alloy epoxy (Cytec 977-03 I think, et al) that has tougheners in it.
That is cool stuff.
There is research being done at my school with carbon nano-fibers, and how they affect impact resistance, fatigue, thermal properties, and various crack propagation properties.
Nano-tubes are not cheap, and their effects are not validated yet. nano-fibers are cheaper. With both, dispersion is somewhat of a problem, depending on the resin used.
I would agree with JRL that it is not for the hobbyist (yet). Unless you have some test equipment, I wouldn’t spend money and effort on it unless I had a good reason to.
I am in the middle of testing some nano-epoxy at the moment. initial deflection test are not showing much difference as of yet but I am not done compiling all my data.
there is new work here about using nano particles for increased conductivity in glass/epoxy composites, and measuring the cracks, and the resistance they cause. All prelim’ work of course.
I have doen a lot of work with nanocomposites they seem to be more commonplace in the type of work im involved in.