SBIR-STTR Award

The feasibility of diamond-coated fibers for polymer matrix composites will be explored. The poor thermal conductivity of polymers restricts the use of these materials as structural components under thermal loading. This problem will be addressed in collaboration with General Dynamics by incorporating CVD diamond-coated fiber mats in polymer matrix composites. The composite thermal properties will be measured to assess the benefits of a high thermal conductivity diamond coating for this application. The mechanical properties of diamond-coated monofilaments will also be determined.

The thermal performance of polymer matrix composites is limited by the poor thermal properties of the matrix and glass reinforcement materials. This problem has been addressed in Phase I by diamond-coating of glass fiber mats prior to polymer infiltration. Optimization and scaling of the coating process will be performed in Phase II. This will enable improvements in composite thermal conductivity with acceptable increases in composite stiffness. The Phase II effort is in collaboration with Lockheed - Ft. Worth Company. Composite processing will also be performed to incorporate through thickness (z-direction) fiber elements to provide interlaminar heat conduction.