Fabrication of fibre metal laminates with multiscale toughening mechanisms

Although Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) show many advantages compared to other composite materials, their layered structure, a result of bonding dissimilar materials, makes FMLs prone to delamination. Conventional solutions to toughen the metal-composite interface have already reached their limit. For further improvement to the metal-composite interfacial bonding properties, a multiscale approach involving micro/nano toughening mechanisms needs to be implemented. However, the fabrication of FMLs with controlled toughening at different length scales is complicated. This paper introduces a new methodology to manufacture FMLs having micro-and nano-sized features using a 3D interconnected silver nanowire interleave at the metal-composite interface. The effects of processing parameters on the extent and effectiveness of the multiscale toughening mechanisms are presented.