Critical Evaluation of the Stiffening Effect of Carbon Nanotubes in Composites

Abstract

Owing to their superior mechanical and physical properties, cCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) seem to hold a great promise as an ideal reinforcing material for composites of high-strength and low-density. HOWEVER, In most of the experimental results to date, however, only modest improvements in the strength and stiffness have been achieved by incorporating carbon nanotubeCNTs in polymers. There are many factors that influence the overall mechanical property properties of CNT-reinforced composites, e.g. the weak bonding between CNTs and matrix, the waviness and agglomeration of CNTs. In the presentis paper, we use the Mori-Tanaka method to evaluate the effects of these factors on the moduli stiffness of CNTs-CNT-reinforced composites are examined. It is established found that the waviness and agglomeration may significantly reduce the stiffening effect of CNTs, while the interface adhesion between the matrix and CNTs has little influence the moduli of CNTs-reinforced composites little.