Silica aerogel infused hierarchical glass fiber polymer composites

Hierarchical systems can address the matrix-dominated failures of structural fiber polymer composites. Here, a new synergistic hierarchical structure combines conventional glass fibers with bi-continuous silica-based aerogel matrix; both pure-silica and organically-modified silicate aerogels are demonstrated. When infused an epoxy matrix, this type architecture showed marked improvement in mechanical properties: without any loss modulus, compressive strength interlaminar shear increased by up to 27%, relative equivalent glass-fiber reinforced composite baseline. The network modification strategy uses industrially-relevant infusion techniques, at or near room temperature, retains similar final density (within 2%). presented here provides versatile readily applicable means improve state-of-the art continuous compression offers opportunity develop generation materials.