Isotropic orientation of carbon fibers in resin matrix materials

Abstract

An isotropic resin matrix material includes resin doped with fiberballs. Fiberballs are formed from a plurality of fibers generally radiating outward from a common node. These fibers are of sufficient numbers and separation at a distal end to form a spherical shape. The fiberballs are uniformly distributed throughout the resin. Preferably, the fibers making up the fiberballs are carbon fibers. The carbon fibers impart thermal and electrical conductivity, or dielectric loss characteristics in some configurations. These conductivity and loss characteristics are isotropic in they are the same no matter where the electrical or thermal energy is applied due to the radial structure and uniform distribution of the fiberballs. The fiberballs may also be saturated with a phase change material and encapsulated in a shell so as to impart a heat dissipation capacity to the resin matrix material. Heat impinging on the resin matrix material is transferred to the phase change material via the surface of the individual fibers making up the fiberball. Here again, the radial structure and uniform distribution of the fiberballs imparts an isotropic nature to the heat dissipation capacity.