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Constitutive Modeling of Nanotube-Reinforced Polymer Composites
Constitutive Modeling of Nanotube-Reinforced Polymer Composites
Constitutive Modeling of Nanotube-Reinforced Polymer Composites
This paper explains and presents a technique for developing constitutive models of polymer composite systems reinforced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). In order to understand the mechanical behavior of nanotube/polymer better, an equivalent-continuum model in conjunction with established micromechanical models can be used. These micromechanical models assume that the fiber and matrix are continuous materials and the constitutive equations for the composite material are based on assumptions of continuum mechanics. However, nanotube-reinforced polymers, a typical single-walled nanotube may have a diameter of approximately 110 x 10^-9 m, compared to the typical carbon-fiber diameter of 50 x 10^-6 m, which leads to a breakdown of the rules and requirements for continuum modeling. Thus, it would be inappropriate to use the micromechanical model without first taking into account the effects of size difference between a nanotube and a typical carbon fiber. The continuum model must account for the fundamental assumption in continuum mechanics that the conservation laws of mass, momentum, and energy can be applied to a model to derive differential equations describing the behavior of objects. Carbon nanotubes are elongated, nanosized carbon particles consisting of cylindrical graphitic layers. Pure single-walled nanotubes (SWNT) have a high Youngs modulus, around 1.25 TPa. In this technique, PmPV (poly(mphenylenevinylene) is used as the nanotube/polymer interface because PmPV molecules naturally wrap around CNTs in a helical pattern offering improved load transfer at the polymer/nanotube interface. This method is preferred over the covalent bonding method. The steps involved in generating the model are as follows: Firstly, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations a model of the molecular structure of the nanotube and the adjacent polymer chains is created Secondly, Second, an equivalent-continuum model is developed in which the mechanical properties are determined based on the force constants Finally, the equivalent-continuum model is used in micromechanical analyses to determine the bulk constitutive properties of the SWNT/polymer composite
References:
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/2012_q4/4/
Fiedler, B., Gojny, F. H., Wichmann, M. H. G., Nolte, M. C. M., and Schulte, K., Fundamental Aspects of Nano-Reinforced Composites, Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 66, 2005, pp. 3115-3125. http://wwwen.uni.lu/university/news/latest_news/research_finding_published_in_nature_nanotechnology