Modeling the elastic properties of carbon nanotube array/polymer composites

In this work, the elastic properties of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) arrays and their composites are investigated. The properties of twisted SWNT nano-arrays or ropes of circular cross-section are predicted through a finite element analysis by applying proper boundary conditions to the model and using the strain energy method. The nano-array properties are then used to describe the properties of twisted SWNT nano-array/polymer composites. The effect of volume fraction and aspect ratio of the nano-array as reinforcement for dilute polymer composite systems are examined for aligned and random reinforcement distribution using conventional micromechanics. Finally, elastic properties of the twisted SWNT nano-array/polymer composites are compared to the results from constitutive model of individual nanotube-reinforced polymer composites.