Mechanical behavior of advanced nano-laminates embedded with carbon nanotubes – a review

Abstract

Embedding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in load-bearing composite laminate hosts to turn them into nano-laminates is a rapidly emerging field and has tremendous potential in enhancing the mechanical performance of the host laminates. This state-of-the-art review intends to provide a physical insight into the understanding of the enhancing mechanisms of the processed and controlled CNTs in the nano-laminates. It focuses on four aspects: (1) physical characteristics of CNTs, including CNT length, diameter, weight percentage and surface functionalization; (2) processing and control techniques of CNTs in the fabrication of nano-laminates, including distribution, dispersion and orientation controls of CNTs; (3) mechanical properties along with their testing methods, including tension, in-plane compression, in-plane and interlaminar shear (ILS), flexure, mode I and mode II fracture toughness as well as compression-after-impact (CAI), ballistic protection and fatigue; and (4) CNT-matrix load transfer and enhancing mechanisms along with a few major governing factors. The selective and uniform production of CNTs with specific dimensions and physical properties has yet to be achieved on a consistent basis. Moreover, the processing details of CNTs vary very significantly among different researchers so that the processed CNTs share little common characteristics. There is little control over the CNT orientations in most fabrication processes of the nano-laminates except for some cases associated with chemical vapor deposition (CVD). There are only two reports on in-plane compression and there is only one on in-plane shear. For reinforcement-dominated mechanical properties such as longitudinal tension and flexure, there was little enhancement reported. However, the substantial enhancement in in-plane compression strength was also reported. For matrix-dominated mechanical properties, such as transverse tension, in-plane shear, ILS strength and mode I and mode II fracture toughness, a significant enhancement, albeit with substantially varying degrees, was reported for ILS strength and mode I and mode II fracture toughness values. Meanwhile, the lack of consistent characterization of those properties was also noticeable. There is little established understanding of the enhancing mechanisms in nanolaminates.

Transient analysis of a three-layer microbeam subjected to electric potential

“…Arefi and Zenkour [20,21] presented transient analyses of sandwich nanoplates in thermal, electrical, and magnetic fields based on nonlocal elasticity theory and using classical and higher-order shear deformation plate theories. Zhou et al [22] presented a review on mechanical behaviors of nano-laminates with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). They presented some important issues on the characteristics of CNTs and response of structures made of CNTs due to various loads.…”

Effect of Dispersing Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Nanoplatelets Hybrids in the Matrix on the Flexural Fatigue Properties of Carbon/Epoxy Composites

“…Among the employed reinforcements, the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene-family particles are two commonly employed nanoparticles due to their characteristic one-dimensional and two-dimensional morphologies. Past studies regarding the reinforcement effect of these carbon nanoparticles on the mechanical properties of FRPs under quasi-static loading, such as tensile or flexural properties and interlaminar fracture toughness, have been reviewed in some references [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Although FRPs are often subjected to fluctuating loading in practical applications, unfortunately, the past investigations regarding the fatigue properties of the nanoparticle modified FRP laminates are relatively rare.…”

An analytical solution for vibration analysis of carbon nanotube conveying viscose fluid embedded in visco-elastic medium

“…Nowadays, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) because of their exceptional mechanical, chemical, electrical, and thermal properties [1][2][3][4][5] have been of great scientific interest to many potential applications in nanomechanical and nanobiological devices. [6][7][8][9][10][11] According to the literature, experiments in nano-scale are complex task, and the molecular dynamics simulations are difficult and expensive. Therefore, the continuum elastic models have been extensively used to model the mechanical behavior of CNTs.…”