Title: Numerical and experimental study on the response of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polymer composites under compressive loading

Authors: T. Takeda; F. Narita; Y. Kuronuma; Y. Shindo

Addresses: Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-yama 6-6-02, Sendai 980-8579, Japan ' Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-yama 6-6-02, Sendai 980-8579, Japan ' Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-yama 6-6-02, Sendai 980-8579, Japan ' Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-yama 6-6-02, Sendai 980-8579, Japan

Abstract: In this paper, we present the numerical and experimental characterisation of the compressive behaviour of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)/polymer composites. Compression tests were conducted on MWNT/polymer composites at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) to identify the effect of nanotube addition on their macroscopic behaviour. Multiscale analysis was also performed to predict the composite response to compressive loading. Three-dimensional finite elements were used to model the representative volume element (RVE) of MWNT/polymer composites, and the nanoscale structure of the MWNT was incorporated by determining its elastic properties using analytical molecular structural mechanics models. It was found that the elastic modulus in compression is improved effectively by adding MWNTs. The correlation between the numerical and experimental results presents some basic insights regarding the reinforcing mechanisms in the nanocomposites under compression.

Keywords: finite element analysis; FEA; materials testing; carbon nanotubes; multi-walled CNTs; MWCNTs; nanocomposites; elastic properties; polymer composites; compressive loading; compression; nanotechnology; molecular structural mechanics; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSI.2013.055103

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity, 2013 Vol.7 No.1/2/3, pp.4 - 21

Published online: 12 Jul 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article