Multiscale mechanical phenomena in electrospun carbon nanotube composites

Abstract

The carbon nanotube (CNT) structure is a promising building block for future nanocomposite structures. Mechanical properties of the electrospun butadiene elastomer reinforced with CNT are analyzed by multiscale method. Nanofiber diameter dependence on electric field and solution concentration is estimated from experimental data. The fiber microscale effective properties are determined by homogenization procedure using modified shear-lag model, while the point-bonded stochastic fibrous network on the mesoscale replaced by continuum effective sheet. Random fibrous network was generated according experimentally determined stochastic quantifiers. The influence of CNT reinforcement on elastic modulus of electrospun sheet on macroscopic level is determined by finite element method.

Multifunctional Product Design by Nanostructures

“…Finite element analyses were performed for computer generated network of 100 fibers. The comparison of calculated data with experimental data [10] for nanotube sheet shows some discrepancies (Figure 14). A rough morphological network model for the sheets can explain this on the one hand and simple joint morphology on the other hand [16].…”

“…7. The CNTs alignment in jet flow [10] By the Fig. 6 illustrated multiscale treatment the CNTs suspension in the jet , one time as short flexible cylinder in solution (microscale), and second time as coarse grain system with polymer chain particles and CNT(nanoscale level).…”