scholarly journals Estimating the Effect of Chirality and Size on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes Through Finite Element Modelling

Author(s):  
Muhammad Jibran Shahzad Zuberi ◽  
Volkan Esat

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered to be one of the contemporary materials exhibiting superior mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. A new generation state-of-the-art composite material, carbon nanotube reinforced polymer (CNTRP), utilizes carbon nanotubes as the reinforcing fibre element. CNTRPs are highly promising composite materials possessing the potential to be used in various areas such as automotive, aerospace, defence, and energy sectors. The CNTRP composite owes its frontline mechanical material properties mainly to the improvement provided by the CNT filler. There are challenging issues regarding CNTRPs such as determination of material properties, and effect of chirality and size on the mechanical material properties of carbon nanotube fibres, which warrant development of computational models. Along with the difficulties associated with experimentation on CNTs, there is paucity in the literature on the effects of chirality and size on the mechanical properties of CNTs. Insight into the aforementioned issues may be brought through computational modelling time- and cost-effectively when compared to experimentation. This study aims to investigate the effect of chirality and size of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on its mechanical material properties so that their contribution to the mechanical properties of CNTRP composite may be understood more clearly. Nonlinear finite element models based on molecular mechanics using various element types substituting C-C bond are generated to develop zigzag, armchair and chiral SWNTs over a range of diameters. The predictions collected from simulations are compared to the experimental and computational studies available in the literature.

2006 ◽  
Vol 963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitor R. Coluci ◽  
Socrates O. Dantas ◽  
Ado Jorio ◽  
Douglas s Galvao

ABSTRACTEletronic and mechanical properties of ordered carbon nanotube networks are studied using molecular dynamics simulations and tight-binding calculations. These networks are formed by single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) regularly connected by junctions. The use of different types of junctions (“Y”-, “X”-like junctions, for example) allows the construction of networks with different symmetries. These networks can be very flexible and the elastic deformation was associated with two main deformation mechanisms (bending and stretching ) of the constituents SWNTs. Rolling up the networks, “super” carbon nanotubes can be constructed. These super-tubes share some of the main electronic features of the SWNT which form them but important changes are predicted (e.g. reduction of bandgap value). Simulations of their deformations under tensile stress have revealed that the super-tubes are softer than the corresponding SWNT and that their rupture occur in higher strain values.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1693-1701 ◽  
Author(s):  
EA Zakharychev ◽  
EN Razov ◽  
Yu D Semchikov ◽  
NS Zakharycheva ◽  
MA Kabina

This paper investigates the structure, length, and percentage of functional groups of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) depending on the time taken for functionalization in HNO3 and H2SO4 mixture. The carbon nanotube content and influence of functionalization time on mechanical properties of polymer composite materials based on epoxy matrix are studied. The extreme dependencies of mechanical properties of carbon nanotube functionalization time of polymer composites were established. The rise in tensile strength of obtained composites reaches 102% and elastic modulus reaches 227% as compared to that of unfilled polymer. The composites exhibited best mechanical properties by including carbon nanotube with 0.5 h functionalization time.


Author(s):  
James Han ◽  
Yu-Fu Ko ◽  
Hsien-Yang Yeh

Longitudinal elastic mechanical behavior of the armchair and zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and the SWCNTs reinforced polymer nanocomposites are investigated. Finite element analysis (FEA) models of the SWCNTs and the SWCNTs reinforced polymer nanocomposites are developed utilizing multiscale modeling technique along with molecular structural mechanics (MSM), which provides material properties at molecular scale and establishes relations between the steric potential energy and the classic structural mechanics. Material properties of C-C bond were obtained using multiscale-based modeling method with the consideration of shear deformation. In addition, for the interphase layer interaction between the carbon molecules of SWCNTs and the molecules of polymer matrix, multiscale-based modeling method was utilized to obtain the stiffness of nonlinear spring elements representing the van der Waals interaction. It is observed that the mechanical behavior of the SWCNTs reinforced polymer nanocomposites is dictated by the mechanical behavior of the SWCNTs embedded in the polymer matrix. Furthermore, varying radius and length of the SWCNTs would affect the longitudinal elastic mechanical properties of the SWCNTs reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Specifically, the simulation results had demonstrated that longitudinal elastic mechanical properties of the SWCNTs reinforced polymer nanocomposites would vary due to different loading conditions applied, i.e., discrete and continuous loading conditions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Holia Onggo ◽  
Rike Yudianti ◽  
Endang Ruchiat

Carbon nanotube-rayon composite filaments was fabricated by spinning and coagulation of the mixture of 100mL functionalized carbon nanotube dispersion (containing 0.72 g FCNT) and cellulose xanthate in NaOH solution using viscose process. In the process, CNT was functionalized using mixture of acidic solution ( H2SO4/HNO3, 3:1 v/v). Influence of functionalized (FCNT) and non-functionalized carbon nanotubes (nFCNT) on the fabrication of rayon nanocomposite filament was studied. Physical and morphological properties of the nanocomposite filaments were characterized by single filament tenacity tester, photo micrograph, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Filterability and mechanical properties of FCNT-rayon nanocomposite filament greatly improved by reducing clogging constant from 1689 to 153 and increasing tenacity from 2.72 to 3.01 g/denier and decreasing elongation from 57.1 to 36.5% respectively compared with those of nFCNT-rayon nanocomposite filament.Keywords: functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes, nanocomposite filament, mechanical properties, filterability, dispersion  ABSTRAKRayon nanocomposite filaments telah dibuat melalui proses pemilinan (spinning) dan koagulasi (coagulation) dari campuran 100 mL larutan functionalized carbon nanotube dispersion (FCNT=0,72 g), selulosa santat dalam larutan NaOH melalui proses viskosa. CNT di functionalisasi (FCNT) menggunakan campuran larutan asam (H2SO4/HNO3, 3:1 v/v). Pengaruh fungsionalisasi CNT pada pembuatan rayon nanocomposite filaments dipelajari dengan cara membandingkannya dengan CNT tanpa fungsionalisasi (nFCNT). Sifat fisik dan morfologi dari rayon-nanocomposite filaments dikarakterisasi menggunakan tenacity tester, photo micrograph, scanning electron microscope (SEM) dan transmission electron microscope (TEM). Viskosa FCNT memiliki daya saring (Kw) cukup baik yaitu 155, sedangkan viskosa nFCNT  memiliki daya saring 1689 (tidak baik). Kekuatan mekanik dari FCNT-rayon nanocomposite filaments berturut turut adalah 3,01 g/denier (tenacity), dan 36,5% (elongation), lebih baik dibandingkan dengan nFCNT-rayon nanocomposite filament: 2,72 g/denier (tenacity) dan 57,1% (elongation).Kata kunci: fungsionalisasi multi-walled carbon nanotubes, rayon-nanocomposite filament, sifat mekanik, daya saring, dispersi


Author(s):  
Paola Jaramillo ◽  
Haym Benaroya

Carbon nanotubes are composed of C-C covalent bonds, which are the strongest bonds found in nature. Hence, carbon nanotubes are identified as the “ultimate fiber” due to their great strength in the direction of the nanotube axis and their ability to enhance the elastic properties of materials. The first indications of synthesizing carbon nanotubes date back to 1952. Russian scientists Radushkevich and Lukyanovich [1] were able to produce nanosized hollow carbon filaments. Nevertheless, it was until 1991 that multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were discovered by Sumio lijima [2, 3] at NEC Corporation Lab, which was followed by his study and synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in 1993. Since their discovery, there has been a constant pursuit to understand the properties and identify the optimal applications of these structures. The paper focuses on the importance of carbon nanotubes and their ability to enhance the mechanical properties of other materials due to their unique elastic properties. Additionally, carbon nanotubes can improve the capabilities and properties of other materials, like polymer composite. Currently, there is an ongoing process to accurately understand the fundamental characteristics of these structures, in particular, to develop the governing laws necessary to control, predict, and manipulate these properties. This will eventually have an impact on the bulk properties of materials where carbon nanotubes may be incorporated. The current research focuses on the ability to create simplified models that can accurately predict the response of carbon nanotube structures undergoing different types of loading conditions. In this way, the mechanical characteristics regarding single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) through finite element modeling are computed. A simplified finite element model is created in ANSYS for different types of SWCNTs with varying input parameters. An input array for the elastic modulus and load is generated to control the physical effects of these parameters in the nanotube structure. The geometries of the nanotubes are altered through various thicknesses employed for the construction of the C–C bonds. The current work contributes to the generation of different model responses to monitor the stress distribution employing a wide range of parameter values. The ability to introduce variability in the parameters and boundary conditions without altering the capabilities and computational time in the model represents the main contribution of this work.


2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Piegat ◽  
Anna Jędrzejewska ◽  
Robert Peƚech ◽  
Iwona Peƚech

AbstractThe influence of the chemical modification of carbon nanotubes on the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of poly(butylene terephthalate)-based composites was investigated. Polymer composites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) were obtained via in situ polymerisation or extrusion. Commercially available multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Nanocyl NC7000) at different loadings (mass %: 0.05, 0.25, 1, 2) were used as fillers. The functionalisation process took place under a chlorine atmosphere followed by a reaction with sodium hydroxide. The effect of carbon nanotube modification was analysed according to the changes in the polymer thermal and mechanical properties. An addition of modified carbon nanotubes in the amount of 0.05 mass % improved the mechanical properties of the composites in terms of both Young’s modulus and tensile strength by 5–10 % and 17–30 % compared with composites with unmodified carbon nanotubes and neat poly(butylene terephthalate), respectively. The in situ method of composite preparation was a more effective technique for enhancing the matrix–filler interactions, although a significantly lower amount of fillers were used than in the extrusion method.


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