Investigating the mechanical properties of single walled carbon nanotube reinforced epoxy composite through finite element modelling

Varying experimental results on the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced polymer composites (CNTRPs) have been reported due to the complexities associated with the characterization of material properties in nano-scale. Insight into the issues associated with CNTRPs may be brought through computational techniques time- and cost-effectively. In this study, finite element models are generated in which single walled carbon nanotube models are embedded into the epoxy resin. For modelling interface regions, two approaches named as non-bonded interactions and perfect bonding model are utilized and compared against each other. Representative volume finite element (RVE) models are built for a range of CNTRPs and employed for the evaluation of effects of diameter and chirality on the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of CNTRPs, for which there is a paucity in the literature. The outcomes of this study are in good agreement with those reported available in the literature earlier. The proposed modelling approach presents a valuable tool for determining other material properties of CNTRPs. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.