The objectives aim to develop physical (i.e. microwave heating, rollingstretching-annealing) and chemical (i.e. PEEK-specific CNT functionalisation) processing methods leading to the development of a production line for a tailored PEEK-CNT engineering nanocomposite, which will be readily upscalable to industrial level (i.e. buildings, aeronautics, automotive, space).

The project seeks, primarily, to develop a generic technology for production, modelling and design of high-performance, light-weight reinforced thermoplastics. The envisaged multiscale reinforcement will comprise of disentangled, dispersed, straightened and aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and also fully impregnated long carbon fibres (CFs).

Depending on the extent of reinforcement and manufacturing process, four products will emerge with PEEK or PPS matrix:

•  Sheets reinforced with CNTs.
• Sheets reinforced with CNTs and long fibres (multiscale reinforcement)
• Honeycomb cores - panels (multiscale reinforcement).
• Laminated complex-shape parts (multiscale reinforcement).