Flexural Dynamic Properties of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube and Carbon-Nanotube-Reinforced-Polymer

Abstract

During last few decades the application of carbon nanotubes as an option of reinforcing element in nanocomposites, has become considerably popular, particularly in the aerospace and aeronautical industry. Nanocomposites are preferred over conventional materials because of their superior mechanical properties, such as high specific strength, high stiffness, low density and fatigue resistance. However, studies still need to be carried out, especially for dynamic response of the nanostructure and the reinforcement in the composite. Therefore, the objective of this work is to model a Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCN) as a space frame structure by using the modified Morse potential and as a thin shell based on Donnell’s theory to analyze its dynamic properties, in terms of its natural frequencies, under different types of boundaries conditions, and a Carbon-Nanotube-Reinforced-Polymer (CNRP) by developing a 3D multiscale finite-element model of the composite under the same boundary conditions. The natural frequencies of the SWCN obtained from the modified Morse potential are compared with the natural frequencies obtained from the shell theory, while the natural frequencies of the CNRP are compared with the natural frequencies of the polymer.