Nanomechanics of carbon nanotubes and composites

Abstract

Computer simulation and modeling results for the nanomechanics of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube-polyethylene composite materials are described and compared with experimental observations. Young’s modulus of individual single-wall nanotubes is found to be in the range of 1 TPa within the elastic limit. At room temperature and experimentally realizable strain rates, the tubes typically yield at about 5–10% axial strain; bending and torsional stiffness and different mechanisms of plastic yielding of individual single-wall nanotubes are discussed in detail. For nanotube-polyethylene composites, we find that thermal expansion and diffusion coefficients increase significantly, over their bulk polyethylene values, above glass transition temperature, and Young’s modulus of the composite is found to increase through van der Waals interaction. This review article cites 54 references.