Structural Integrity Assessment of Aligned and Non-aligned Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Epoxy Resin.

Carbon nanotubes have gained popularity due its unique electrical and thermal properties and high strength, widely finding it application in medical and electrical field. In the presented study the single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are assumed to be aligned using a DC electric field, taking into account transportation phenomena like the rotation of tube and its polarization to form chain like structure. Authors have examined and compared the structural properties under tensile loading of aligned and non-aligned single walled carbon nanotubes SWCNT in epoxy matrix using finite element analysis. COMSOL Multiphysics has been used to model the specimens and investigate its properties. The result lays out trends and relation between various parameters and the strength of the epoxy based SWCNT composite. The study draws out result on how changes in parameters of epoxy based SWCNT composite changes its physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]