Thermoelastic Properties of a Novel Fuzzy Fiber-Reinforced Composite

The effective thermoelastic properties of a fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite (FFRC) have been estimated by employing the generalized method of cells approach and the Mori-Tanaka method. The novel constructional feature of this fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite is that the uniformly aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are radially grown on the circumferential surface of the horizontal carbon fibers. Effective thermoelastic properties of the fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite estimated by the generalized method of cells approach have been compared with those predicted by the Mori-Tanaka method. The present work concludes that the axial thermal expansion coefficient of the fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite slightly increases for the lower values of the carbon fiber volume fraction, whereas the transverse thermal expansion coefficient of the fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite significantly decreases over those of the composite without CNTs. Also, the results demonstrate that the effect of temperature variation on the effective thermal expansion coefficients of the fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite is negligible.