A study on nanocomposite beam response under low-velocity impact based on an analytical model

Response of a nanocomposite beam made of glass/epoxy reinforced with multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and nanoclay under low-velocity impact is investigated. Mechanical properties of nanocomposite including matrix, nanoparticles and fiber are attained by using modified rule of mixture (MROM). In order to analyze the lowvelocity impact, the equations of motion are obtained using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and Hertz’s contact law. The procured set of nonlinear equations, which are obtained from Ritz’s variational approximation method, are solved using the Runge-Kutta fourth order method. The effect of different parameters such as adding nanoparticles (on maximum contact force), stacking sequence and geometrical dimensions of beam on dynamic behavior of the nanocomposite beam have been studied. Also, the analytical model result is compared with Finite Element Modeling (FEM) in Ls-Dyna software. It is found that the effect of nanoparticles on energy absorption is more considerable at higher impact energies.