Articles and Methods for Manufacture of Nanostructure Reinforced Composites

A method of producing a material, comprising:

• providing a nanostructure array, at least some of which nanostructures have a length of at least 1 micrometer (micron), with the long axes of the nanostructures being aligned relative to each other, and a density of at least 108/cm2;
• providing the nanostructure array with a resin matrix comprising a polymeric material to form an aligned nanostructure resin film, wherein the resin matrix has a thickness that deviates from a height of the nanostructure array between 1% and 1000%;
• connecting a fiber ply to the aligned nanostructure resin film;
• applying a resin infusion process to the connected fiber ply and aligned nanostructure resin film;
• characterized by maintaining the position and alignment of the nanostructures relative to each other with the resin matrix during the resin infusion process;
• connecting said nanostructure array to a power supply and using said nanostructure array as electrical resistance heaters to assist the resin curing reaction;
• and heating the resin matrix to assist adhesion between the resin matrix and nanostructure array.