Wall thickness dependencies of carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites

Abstract

Abstract Indentation analyses are conducted to investigate the CNT’s wall thickness dependencies of the mechanical properties of nanocomposites. This study incorporates Berkovich nanoindentation analyses for chemically non-bonded CNT/matrix interface, including the size effects of nanocomposites. For non-bonded interface, the properties of nanocomposite are generally controlled by mechanical interlocking, thermal residual stress, Poisson’s contraction and van der Waal’s (vdW) interaction between CNT and matrix. Considering all these parameters, a series of finite element models for nano-indentation tests have been constructed, aiming to investigate the mechanical properties of CNT reinforced nanocomposites. The model is validated and numerical results are compared with that of existing experimental indentation test. Analysis has been run for ten different wall thicknesses of CNTs in a range of wall thickness starting from 0.034 nm to 0.334 nm. Elasto-plastic behavior of steel and CNT including strain gradient is considered in the program. The study on wall thickness dependencies of CNTs in nanocomposite shows that mechanical properties of nanocomposites largely depends on the wall thickness of CNTs. A minimum wall thickness for a particular tube diameter to achieve a pick value of hardness and modulus of elasticity of nanocomposites is determined. The minimum wall thickness of CNTs is suggested to be 0.2 for an outer diameter of 1nm in order to achieve the maximum value of composite properties. In addition, a wall thickness smaller than 0.05 nm may even reduce the hardness and modulus of elasticity of CNT reinforced composites compare to that of pure matrix.