Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new way to make carbon fiber materials even stronger and more durable—using a technique that mimics how a spider spins silk.
The breakthrough could lead to better, more affordable materials for cars, airplanes, energy systems, and even national defense.
Carbon fiber is already known for being incredibly strong and lightweight, making it ideal for building things that need to be tough but not heavy.
The material is made by embedding threads of pure carbon inside a plastic-like substance called a polymer matrix.
It’s a bit like how rebar strengthens concrete.
But a long-standing problem has been that the polymer doesn’t stick very well to the carbon fibers. This weak bond reduces the overall performance of the material.
In the past, scientists have tried different methods to improve this bond, such as roughening the surface of the fibers or adding special chemicals, but results have been limited.
The team at ORNL has taken a new approach by creating tiny carbon nanofibers that both chemically and physically connect the fibers to the surrounding matrix, acting like tiny bridges.
This hybrid method has resulted in a 50% increase in strength and nearly twice the toughness—meaning the material is much more durable under stress.
The magic happens through a method called electrospinning. This process uses a strong electric field to pull a material called polyacrylonitrile into ultra-fine fibers, about 200 nanometers wide—100 times thinner than a human hair.
These fibers are then laid over carbon fiber fabric wrapped around a spinning metal drum. By carefully controlling the electric field and the speed of the drum, the researchers can adjust the orientation and bonding of the fibers to achieve the best results.
According to lead researcher Sumit Gupta, this combination of strong mechanical and chemical bonding is a game-changer.
The nanofibers improve how the carbon fiber interacts with the polymer matrix, making the overall composite material much better. Chris Bowland, another ORNL researcher, added that the team has spent recent months refining the process to better understand what makes it work and how to adapt it for different uses.
A big advantage of this new technique is that it could lower the cost of carbon fiber products. With better bonding, manufacturers might be able to use less material or even reuse short leftover fibers that would normally be thrown away.
To better understand how their method works on a microscopic level, the team used advanced tools at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.
They also used the Frontier supercomputer to model the process in detail and figure out how the nanofibers interact with the polymer matrix.
The team has applied for a patent and is now looking for industry partners to bring this technology to market.
They also plan to explore how this technique could work with other types of fiber-reinforced materials. Future versions may even include smart features, such as the ability to monitor their own health using embedded sensors.
