Theoretical Models and Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Polymer Matrix Using Different Kinds of Carbon Nanotubes

This paper is a study of the role of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) in improving the mechanical properties of epoxy resins. In nanotube-based polymeric composite it is anticipated that high elastic modulus can be achieved by taking advantage of the interfacial friction between the nanotubes and the polymer. In order to evaluate the CNT effect on polymer composites, different weight fractions of CNTs and two different kinds of CNTs were dispersed in the matrix. First, the damping characteristics of the samples with 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt.% nanotube contents were measured and then the tensile modulus was determined experimentally. The experiments showed an increase of the elastic modulus and the damping due to adding CNTs. Theoretical models were used to show the effect of added reinforcement to compare with experimental elastic modulus data. The results showed that a modified Rule of Mixtures model, incorporating the effect of fibre orientation in 3D was closest to the experimental results.