A review of the mechanical properties of isolated carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube composites

A literature review on the prediction of Young’s modulus for carbon nanotubes, from both theoretical and experimental aspects, is presented. The discrepancies between the values of Young’s modulus reported in the literature are analyzed, and different trends of the results are discussed. The available analytical and numerical simulations for predicting the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube composites are also reviewed. A gap analysis is performed to highlight the obstacles and drawbacks of the modeling techniques and fundamental assumptions employed which should be overcome in further studies. The aspects which should be studied more accurately in modeling carbon nanotube composites are identified.