Multi-scale analysis of fiber-matrix interfacial enhancement in hybrid structural composites with aligned zinc oxide nanowires

In this paper, a three-dimensional multi-scale analysis is presented to investigate the interfacial properties and failure mechanism of an enhanced single carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite under tensile load. Radially aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires on the surface of carbon fiber are simulated to evaluate the enhanced interfacial properties. At the micro-scale, the effective interfacial properties with various ZnO volume fractions are evaluated using an appropriate representative volume element. At the meso-scale, a cohesive zone model is used to study the interface between the fiber and the matrix. At the macro-scale, the first failure of the enhanced single fiber composite is evaluated utilizing the maximum tensile theory and an appropriate user subroutine in a finite element model. The developed multi-scale analysis demonstrates that the interfacial properties between carbon fibers and matrix can be improved by growing ZnO nanowires on the fibers' surface, resulting in enhanced stress transfer capability between matrix and fiber in structural composites.