Nanostructured Composites: Modelling for Tailored Industrial Application

Abstract

This comprehensive study explores the application of metallic, polymeric, and hybrid nanocomposites, particularly integrating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to enhance mechanical properties. Various mathematical models predict critical properties like elastic modulus, with analyses assessing mechanical behavior across different CNT volume fractions. Findings emphasize the influence of fiber distribution and porosity on mechanical properties, with clusters acting as stress concentrators. Matrix materials include Aluminum 356 and HDPE, with CNTs and Coir fibers as reinforcements, and hybrid composites combining HDPE, Coir, and CNTs are studied. Elastic modulus calculations employ micromechanical models, with results varying based on volume fractions and composite compositions. Experimental validation enhances technical robustness, ensuring applicability in real-world scenarios. Aerospace applications favor models like Combined Voigt–Reuss, Halpin–Tsai Equations, and Hashin–Strikman for their accuracy and computational efficiency, while automotive applications prefer Halpin–Tsai Equations and Combined Equations for practical use. These models balance accuracy and computational efficiency, providing valuable insights for industrial applications. The calculated effective modulus ranged from 81.67 GPa to 118.78 GPa for Al-CNT composites, from 11.09 GPa to 51.05 GPa for HDPE-CNT composites, and from 1.15 GPa to 1.34 GPa for HDPE-Coir composites, showcasing the wide range of mechanical properties achievable through different composite compositions and volume fractions.