Sensing of Distributed Strain and Damage for Life Prediction and Self Healing

by E.T. Thostenson & T.-W. Chou Advanced Materials, 2 Oct 2006 (online) Composite materials are made by weaving together strong fibres of carbon or glass and embedding them in a matrix of epoxy or other polymer. They are widely used in the construction of aircraft because they offer an unmatched combination of strength and lightness. Their downside is that internal defects that can lead to catastrophic structural failure can be hard to detect. Now engineers at the University of Delaware have shown that carbon nanotubes embedded in composite materials can be used to spot these hidden internal flaws. Read more