Stress transfer in carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites

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Carbon nanotube (CNT) with excellent mechanical properties are considered to be ideal reinforced materials. Theoretical prediction and finite element method have been developed to investigate the stress transfer at the interface of SWCNT reinforced nanocomposites. The stress transfer between the reinforcing nanotubes and the matrix material at the interface is an important phenomenon which controls mechanical properties of CNT reinforced composites. The analytical 2D and finite element model were developed to predict axial stress (σ_n) and interfacial shear stress (τ_i) along the CNT and carbon nanofiber (CNF) embedded in matrix matericals. The effects of CNT aspect ratio, volume fraction and matrix modulus on the CNT axial stress and interfacial shear stress are investigated. Numerical results show that the CNTaxial stress increases rapidly from the CNT ends and then gradually it reaches to a saturation stage at the CNT center point. CNT axial stress is increasing with the increases of the aspect ratio and volume fraction. The maximum interfacial shear stress occurs at both ends of CNT and rapidly decreases to zero at the CNT central region. The interfacial shear stress is decreasing with the increases of the aspect ratio and volume fraction. Finally, the results predicted from the proposed analytical model are compared with results from finite element analysis. A resonable agreement is observed between the analytical model and the finite element method.