Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-reinforced ceramic nanocomposites for aerospace applications: a review

Abstract

Advances in the nanotechnology have been actively applied to the field of aerospace engineering where there is a constant necessity of high durable material with low density and better thermo-mechanical properties. Over the past decade, carbon nanotubes-based composites are widely utilised owing to its fascinating properties resulting in series of multidisciplinary industrial applications. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are rolled up sheets of carbon in nanoscale which offers excellent thermal and mechanical properties at lower density which makes them suitable reinforcement for composites in aerospace applications. Owing to its high Young’s modulus and chemically inert behaviour, CNTs are forefront of material research with applications varying from water purification to aerospace applications where applicational sector remains a mystery. Although there has been numerous research on the CNTs-based materials, there are only limited studies focusing on its utilisation for the field of aerospace engineering. As a result, in this review, we intend to cover the processing and synthesis techniques, thermal and mechanical properties as well as few industrial applications of CNTs-reinforced ceramic composites. Further, any potential development in additive manufacturing-based technique for fabricating CNT/ceramics and its applications in aerospace industries have been highlighted.