OxfordNano has developed a new manufacturing capability for aerospace composite structures using special nanomaterials (NMs) technologies derived from ERC research. The target application for this capability were ultra-performance radomes for airborne sensors systems. By designing new materials and functional composites OxfordNano contributed towards paving the way to tackle the challenges of modern communication technologies which are hitting the limitations of classical material science and engineering. With these new materials OxfordNano has created the opportunity to deliver digital services to users on the move, e.g. passengers in civil aircraft and trains. Mobile radomes for the aviation industries need to be strong in structure and impact, lightweight and easily formed to aerodynamic shapes, and be resistant to erosion and lightning. Above all the radome must be transparent i.e. have the minimum insertion losses for that operational frequency range.
In the last 40 years, a range of insulating materials such as ceramics and resin composites have been used to optimise properties such as durability against environment yet possessing maximum and/or tunable radio frequency transparencies. However, in advanced high-mobility applications utilisation of modern lightweight nanocomposites as structural materials for radomes with superior toughness, thermal properties and other functionalities are essential.
For the creation of such lightweight nanocomposites, OxfordNano has developed a new manufacturing process for the controlled production of ceramic-based nanomaterials. This manufacturing process was scaled up, and in-house materials were implemented in new functional composites and their suitability for use in ultra-performance mobile radome applications were tested against commercial materials. The findings of OxfordNano have enabled us to up-scale and take specially designed nanomaterials developed under the Starting Grant DEDIGROWTH to the next level. We have successfully embedded them in composites and by doing so we could proof that these materials are indeed exploitable for next generation for next generation ultra-performance mobile radome applications. Further tests are now being developed and additional funding is being sought both from industry and UK funding bodies for the pathway to impact. In parallel, additional interaction with other industrial partners including the F1 motor-sport industries, and battery manufacturers which also require new solutions to the thermal management of high-end electrical components were established. At present there is still no known commercial technology using h-BN multi-wall nanotubes (BNNTs) at scale and we are currently searching for opportunities to taking lab-scale production closer to industrial scale production.
