One-step electrodeposition of Cu/CNT/CF multiscale reinforcement with substantially improved thermal/electrical conductivity and interfacial properties of epoxy composites

A novel copper/carbon nanotube/carbon fiber (Cu/CNT/CF) multiscale reinforcement was successfully achieved using a one-step electrophoretic deposition technique in which CNT was introduced via two techniques. Two stabilized electrolytes containing CNT of distinct charge character were prepared to investigate the effect of CNT to the thermal/electrical conductivity and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the composites. The positively charged CNT composites showed increases of 359.2%, 2761% and 34.5% for thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity in the through-thickness direction and the ILSS, respectively, in comparison with de-sized CF composites. Contrast with the two-step method, the preparation time of the one-step method has been shortened to one-fifth, and the connections between the Cu and CNT were compacted to improve the conductivity of the composites. Moreover, Cu/CNT/CF prepared according to the one-step method was highly compatible with vacuum-assisted resin infusion technology and provided a route for preparing multifunctional composites that could be easily scaled up.