Study of the mechanical properties of carbon nanofiber reinforced carbon/carbon composites

The effects of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on the flexural properties and interlaminar shear strength of CNF-reinforced C/C composites are discussed. The results show that the flexural strength, modulus and interlaminar shear strength of the composite containing 5 wt.% CNFs are increased by nearly 21.5%, 33.5% and 40.7%, respectively, compared to that of the composite containing no CNFs. When the additive content is increased to 20 wt.%, due to the holes and cavities in the CNF web and between carbon cloth and matrix, both the flexural properties and interlaminar shear strength decrease from the maximum value with the additive content at 5 wt.%.