Carbon fiber-reinforced cyanate ester/nano-ZrW2O8 composites with tailored thermal expansion.

Fiber-reinforced composites are widely used in the design and fabrication of a variety of high performance aerospace components. The mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the high CTE polymer matrix and low CTE fiber reinforcements in such composite systems can lead to dimensional instability and deterioration of material lifetimes due to development of residual thermal stresses. The magnitude of thermally induced residual stresses in fiber-reinforced composite systems can be minimized by replacement of conventional polymer matrices with a low CTE, polymer nanocomposite matrix.