Nano-Interphase Engineering for Crack Arrest in Advanced Composite Laminates

Abstract

Advanced composite laminates, such as carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) and 
glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs), are critical in aerospace, automotive, and marine 
applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratios. However, delamination and crack 
propagation under mechanical loads remain major challenges, leading to reduced structural 
integrity. Nano-interphase engineering, involving the incorporation of nanomaterials like carbon 
nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and silica nanoparticles at the fiber-matrix 
interface, has emerged as a promising strategy for crack arrest. This review synthesizes recent 
advancements, highlighting mechanisms such as crack deflection, bridging, pinning, and enhanced 
interfacial adhesion that improve interlaminar fracture toughness (G_Ic and G_IIc) by 20-300%. 
Experimental and numerical studies demonstrate that optimized nano-interphases can extend 
fatigue life and suppress crack growth, with hybrid approaches showing synergistic effects. 
Challenges include nanomaterial dispersion and scalability. The paper discusses toughening 
mechanisms, quantitative enhancements, and future directions for damage-tolerant composites.