Can carbon nanotubes grown on fibers fundamentally change stress distribution in a composite? 

 -  Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 63, p.32-34, 2014 .
<br/><br/> In carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites the onset of damage occurs at the fiber/matrix interface, where stress concentrations are the highest due to the property mismatch of the two materials. This article reports results of a modelling study indicating that carbon nanotubes (CNTs)grown on fibers are effective in suppressing stress concentrations at the fiber/matrix interface. In the case of high density CNT forests, they can even fundamentally change a profile of the interfacial stress. The study is performed using a novel two-scale finite element model of a nano-engineered composite based on the embedded regions technique. 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>NANO-STRUCTURES<br/>STRESS CONCENTRATIONS<br/>FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS (FEA)<br/>MULTI-SCALE MODELLING