Tensile and tribological properties of a short-carbon-fiber-reinforced peek composite doped with carbon nanotubes

The main objective of this paper is to develop a high-wear-resistant short-carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite by introducing additional multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into it. The compounds were mixed in a Haake batch mixer and fabricated into sheets by compression molding. Samples with different aspect ratios and concentrations of fillers were tested for wear resistance. The worn surfaces of the samples were examined by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the photomicrographs revealed a higher wear resistance of the samples containing the additional carbon nanotubes. Also, a better interfacial adhesion between the short carbon fibers and vinyl ester in the composite was observed.     

Nonlinear vibrations of embedded multi-walled carbon nanotubes using a variational approach

The present work deals with the problem of the nonlinear vibrations of multi-walled carbon nanotubes embedded in an elastic medium. A multiple-beam model is utilized in which the governing equations of each layer are coupled with those of its adjacent ones via the van der Waals interlayer force. The variational iteration method (VIM) is adopted to obtain the amplitude–frequency curves for large-amplitude vibrations of single-, double- and triple-walled carbon nanotubes. The influences of changes in material constants of the surrounding elastic medium and the geometric parameters on the vibration characteristics of multi-walled carbon nanotubes are investigated. The results from the VIM solution are compared and shown to be in excellent agreement with the available solutions from the open literature. The capability of the present analytical technique is clarified in terms of numerical accuracy as well as computational efficiency.     

Analytical prediction of Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes using a variational method

Molecular mechanics and solid mechanics are linked to establish, a nanoscale analytical continuum theory for determination of stiffness and Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes. A space-frame structure consisted of representative unit cells has been introduced to describe the mechanical response of carbon nanotubes to the applied loading. According to this assumption a novel unit cell, given the name mechanical unit cell here is introduced to construct a graphene sheet or the wall of the carbon nanotubes. Incorporating the Morse potential function with the strain energy of the mechanical unit cells in a carbon nanotube is the key point of this study. The structural model of the carbon nanotube is solved to obtain its Young's modulus by using the principle of minimum total potential energy. It was found that the Young's modulus of the zigzag and armchair single-walled carbon nanotubes are 1.42 and 1.30 TPa, respectively. The results indicate sensitivity of the stiffness and Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes to chirality but show no dependence on its diameter. The presented analytical investigation provides a very simple approach to predict the Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes and the obtained results are in good agreement with the existing experimental and theoretical data.     

Torsional vibration of single-walled carbon nanotubes using doublet mechanics

This paper investigates the torsional vibration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using a new approach based on doublet mechanics (DM) incorporating explicitly scale parameter and chiral effects. A fourth-order partial differential equation that governs the torsional vibration of nanotubes is derived. Using DM, an explicit equation for the natural frequency in terms of geometrical and mechanical property of CNTs is obtained for both the Zigzag and Armchair nanotube for the torsional vibration mode. It is shown that chiral effects along with the scale parameter play a significant role in the vibration behavior of SWCNTs in torsional vibration mode. Such effects decrease the natural frequency obtained by DM compared to the classical continuum mechanics and nonlocal theory predictions. However, with increase in the length and/or the radius of the tube, the effect of the chiral and scale parameter on the natural frequency decreases.     

Computational study of compressive loading of carbon nanotubes using quasi-continuum method

A reduced-order general continuum method is used to examine the mechanical behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) under compressive loading and unloading conditions. Quasi-static solutions are sought where the total energy of the system is minimized with respect to the spatial degrees of freedom. The obtained continuum solution is mapped back to the lattice structure of CNTs. We then provide a detailed analysis of buckled configurations for four different types of CNTs on the lattice level and show that, among the cases studied, the armchair CNT has the strongest resistance to the compressive loading. It is also shown that the buckled CNT will significantly lose its structural strength with the zigzag lattice structure. The post-buckling unloading of CNTs demonstrates that, after the occurrence of buckling, the CNT can return to its original state, making its use desirable in fields such as synthetic biomaterials, electromagnetic devices, or polymer composites.     

Buckling and post-buckling analysis of single wall carbon nanotubes using molecular mechanics

This paper deals with a numerical model for the buckling and post-buckling analysis of single-wall carbon nanotubes. Reasons of efficiency lead to the choice of a simple molecular statics model, wherein binary, ternary and quaternary atomic interactions are accounted for and described using Morse and cosine potential functions. The equations of the model are discussed in depth and the parameters of the potential functions are justified in the light of a comparison with ab-initio results. Several case studies regarding zigzag and armchair tubes of different aspect ratios, under compression, bending and torsion, are addressed with the aim of investigating the efficacy of the model and the role of the quaternary interactions, in contexts of both global and local behaviours.     

Embeddability of open-ended carbon nanotubes in hypercubes

A graph that can be isometrically embedded into a hypercube is called a partial cube. An open-ended carbon nanotube is a part of hexagonal tessellation of a cylinder. In this article we determine all open-ended carbon nanotubes which are partial cubes.     

Morphology, structure and Raman scattering of carbon nanotubes produced by using mesoporous materials

Carbon nanotubes were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of hydrocarbon gas on various substrates. The effect of substrates on the growth, morphology and structure of carbon nanotubes were investigated. Aligned carbon nanotubes with high density and purity were achieved by CVD on mesoporous silica substrate. The Raman scattering of aligned carbon nanotubes was carried out, and the dependence of the phonon properties on the microstructure of the nanotubes has been discussed.     

Approximate solutions to the nonlinear vibrations of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using Adomian decomposition method

This paper applies the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) to the search for the approximate solutions to the problem of the nonlinear vibrations of multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded in an elastic medium. A multiple-beam model is utilized in which the governing equations of each layer are coupled with those of its adjacent ones via the van der Waals inter layer forces. The amplitude–frequency curves for large-amplitude vibrations of single-walled, double-walled and triple-walled carbon nanotubes are obtained. The influence of changes in material constants of the surrounding elastic medium and the effect of changes in nanotube geometrical parameters on the vibration characteristics are studied by comparing the results with those from the open literature. This method needs less work in comparison with the traditional methods and decreases considerable volume of calculation, and it’s powerful mathematical tool for solving wide class of nonlinear differential equations. Special attention is given to prove the convergence of the method. Some examples are given to illustrate the determination approximate solutions of the proposed problem.     

Noncoaxial vibration of fluid-filled multi-walled carbon nanotubes

This paper is concerned with the free vibration of the fluid-filled multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with simply supported ends. Based on simplified Donnell’s cylindrical shell model and potential flow theory, the effect of internal fluid on the coupling vibration of the MWCNTs-fluid system is discussed in detail. The results show that the resonant frequencies are decreased due to the effect of the fluid, and the fluid has only a little influence on the associated amplitude ratio in MWCNTs corresponding to the natural resonant frequency (frequency of the innermost tube), while plays a significant role in the associated amplitude ratios corresponding to the intertube resonant frequency. For the natural resonant frequency, the vibration mode is coaxial. However, for the intertube resonant frequency, the system shows complex noncoaxial vibration, which plays a critical role in electronic and transport properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs).     

Dynamic stability of carbon nanotubes reinforced composites

Based on an effective model of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and Donnell-shell theory, an analytical method is presented to study dynamic stability characteristics of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced composites considering the surface effect of carbon nanotubes. From obtained results it is seen that carbon nanotubes composites, under combined static and periodic axial loads, may occur in a parametric resonance, the parametric resonance frequency of dynamic instability regions of CNTs reinforced composites under axially oscillation loading enhances as the stiffness of matrix surrounding CNTs increases, and the surface effective modulus and residue stress of carbon nanotubes make the parametric resonance frequency and the region breadth of dynamic instability of carbon nanotubes reinforced composites increase.     

Dynamical behaviors of fluid-conveyed multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Based on an elastic beam model and potential flow theory, and by adopting N-mode Galerkin discretization technique, the dynamical stability behaviors of fluid-conveyed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are studied. The influences of the flow inside the innermost tube and the van der Waals (vdW) interaction between any two walls on the instabilities of the CNTs-fluid system are discussed on the numerical simulations in detail. Also, the effects of the innermost tube radius, the length and the layer quantity of MWCNTs on the critical velocities of the destabilized system are intensively analyzed and compared. The results show that the critical velocities increase sharply as the radius becomes larger, the layer quantity increases, and the length decreases. The bifurcations happen in turn of divergence and Hopf types.     

Response of multiwall carbon nanotubes to impact loading

Dynamic behaviors of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with finite length are investigated using an analytical method. Multiple elastic shells and linearized model of van der Waals forces are used for development a comprehensive continuum dynamic model of MWCNTs. By applying Laplace transform, analytical solution for thin and thick MWCNTs under dynamic loading are obtained. Dynamic responses of 3-, 9-, and 11-layer MWCNTs under external pressure shock are examined and accuracy of results are verified by comparison the results with those obtained by numerical methods. Both displacement and stress analysis are performed for layers of MWCNTs and frequencies of oscillations are obtained. Also, effects of axial wave created by external pressure shock are studied in MWCNTs with two-dimensional analyses. Dynamic responses of MWCNTs with initial axial displacement are also proposed and the propagation of the axial wave through the length of tubes is illustrated. Furthermore, wave propagation velocity is found by analysis of time history diagram.     

Estimation of the optimal distribution of the fibers in carbon/carbon composite

Carbon/carbon (C/C) composites are widely represented in the industry and are utilized for extreme thermal and mechanical loading. Optimization of the fibers distribution allows by still high stiffness to provide reducing of the weight of the components that has crucial importance in aircraft and aerospace industry. A microstructure optimization problem for estimation of the microstructure with minimal compliance is formulated. The design variables of the posed problem are the local fibers distribution and porosity. The volume fractions of the fibers and pores in the whole microstructure are fixed. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)