Fabrication and characterization of ultrahigh-volume- fraction aligned carbon nanotube-polymer composites.

Aligned CNT nanocomposites with variable volume fraction, up to 20%, are demonstrated. Biaxial mechanical densification of aligned CNT forests, followed by capillarity-driven wetting using unmodified aerospace-grade polymers, creates centimeter-scale specimens. Characterizations confirm CNT alignment and dispersion in the thermosets, providing a useful platform for controlled nanoscale interaction and nanocomposite property studies that emphasize anisotropy.