Three-dimensionally reinforced multifunctional nanocomposites

A fabric reinforcement, comprising:

• a woven fiber cloth;
• and
• a plurality of carbon nanotubes grown on the woven fiber cloth, the nanotubes extending approximately perpendicular to a surface defined by the woven fiber cloth,
• the reinforcement further comprising a plurality of woven fiber cloths with carbon nanotubes grown on the woven fiber cloths, wherein the nanotubes extend approximately perpendicular to the woven fiber cloths, at least some nanotubes from adjacent fiber cloths being mechanically interlocked with each other.

A method of fabricating a three-dimensionally reinforced composite laminate, comprising:

• providing a two-dimensional woven fiber cloth;
• growing carbon nanotubes on a surface of the woven fiber cloth so as to form a three-dimensional fiber preform,
• wherein the carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the surface of the fiber cloth;
• substantially infiltrating the three-dimensional fiber preform with a matrix material to form a three-dimensional composite lamina;
• assembling a plurality of three-dimensional composite laminae such that the nanotubes are substantially positioned between the laminae;
• curing the assembled laminae.