Carbon Nanotubes and Nano-reinforced Composites
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure consisting of pentagon rings. Since their discovery, CNTs have triggered the interest of scientific community due to their excellent physical properties. Due to their extraordinary mechanical properties (stiffness around 1 TPa and strength around 120 GPa) and fiber-like structure, CNTs are contemplated as potential reinforcements in polymers and CFRP laminates. LTSM is activated in the technological area of CNTs since 2005 mainly in the:
- development of atomistic-based continuum models for the strength prediction and mechanical performance simulation of CNTs, and
- development of multi-scale methods for the simulation of the mechanical performance of CNT-reinforced polymers.
Modeling of CNT as a space-frame structure.
FE model of the double-walled CNT (15,15)-(21,21).
Prediction of fracture evolution at the (20,0) CNT as a function of applied strain.
Modeling of the Stone-Wales defect in the (20,0) CNT.
The concept of the equivalent beam.
Multi-scale analysis of the CNT-reinforced polymer.