Effect of graphene nano-additives on the fatigue limit of fiber-reinforced polymer hybrid composites—A micromechanical modeling procedure

Abstract

In this article, the effect of graphene nanoadditives on the fatigue limit of unidirectional glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites has been investigated. A micromechanical model based on the crack growth has been used to analyze the fatigue limit response of unidirectional GFRP hybrid composite containing nanoadditives. The influence of different percentages of graphene nanosheets (GNS) and different types of nanofiller dispersion has been investigated by the micromechanical model. The fatigue limit of unidirectional GFRP hybrid composites has been plotted in terms of glass fiber volume fraction, interfacial friction shear stress, interfacial fracture energy and reference length. The fatigue limit of unidirectional composites can be improved by addition of GNS into the polymer matrix of such composite systems. The obtained results on the GNS dispersion type demonstrate that the uniform dispersion of GNS into the polymer matrix increases the fatigue limit of unidirectional GFRP hybrid composites. As the agglomeration density of GNS is low, the fatigue limit of GFRP hybrid composites will be improved more than when the density of agglomeration is high.