A new micromechanics model and effective elastic modulus of nanotube reinforced composites

In the present study, a new model, in which the wavy carbon nanotubes are replaced with effective fibers, has been developed. The analytical expressions are derived based on the micromechanics method, then the effective elastic modulus of carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer composites can be predicted. This paper mainly investigates the effects of waviness and agglomeration on the effective elastic modulus of curved carbon nanotube reinforced composites. It is found that both of those factors can significantly affect the stiffening of composites. The stiffness of carbon nanotubes can be reduced significantly due to the effects of waviness and agglomeration. Moreover, the effects of waviness and agglomeration on the effective elastic modulus are also discussed. It is noted that the effective elastic modulus of CNT reinforced composites is very sensitive to the waviness and the agglomeration. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.