MACANTA – Multifunctional Hierarchical Advanced Composite Aerostructures Utilising the Combined Properties of Different Carbon Nanotube Assemblies – is a £1 million project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It brings together a multidisciplinary research team who are developing multifunctional composite aerostructures using different carbon nanotube (CNT) assemblies.
One particular assembly (or architecture) is a highly-aligned CNT web, with a densified thickness of 50nm and aerial density of 20mg/sqm. This web has been successfully embedded in structural joints and shown to be a highly effective, ultra-sensitive strain and damage sensor.
By stacking this web at different orientations, a fully tailorable energy-efficient heating element was also shown to be a viable anti-icing/de-icing device. Additional funding has since been secured to progress this technology to commercialisation.
For more information about the project, please see the MACANTA website.
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