Summary

Description

<p>Increase the tensile strength of CNT fibers to produce composites with specific tensile strengths of 2.0 GPa/(g/cc) and demonstrate their impact on the mechanical properties, coefficient of thermal expansion, and damage tolerance of CFRP</p><p>Approach:</p><ul><li>Increase tensile strength of commercially available CNT materials via  a combination of processing modifications (increased CNT length and improved alignment) and post-processing methods (increase CNT-CNT bond strength)</li><li>Incorporate into composites and perform coupon level tests to quantify improvements in mechanical properties, damage tolerance and dimensional control</li><li>Demonstrate benefits and flight readiness by design, fab, ground and flight test of a CNT reinforced COPV</li><li>Partner with DoD and other agencies under the NNI Sustainable Nanomanufacturing Signature Initiative to leverage resources and capabilities</li><li>Utilize other NASA investments, e.g., Space Technology Research Fellowships, SBIR/STTR to accelerate technology development</li></ul>