Due to the marine structures elements of polymer composites and the increasing need for greater strength and stiffness of these composites, also due to the unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the possibility of using Carbon nanotubes have been addressed as an additive reinforcement in a polymer composite is explored in this research.
Today, it is necessary to apply new technologies to achieve economic success and solve financial problems. It is also critical to evaluate and exploit nanotechnology to compete in the industry and win the future market.
In this research, the Reactive Volume Element (RVE) is studied in different percentages and sizes of carbon nanotubes. First, the analytical equations for predicting the elastic behavior of a volumetric element are presented, then the mechanical behavior of ABAQUS is investigated by modeling the finite element software in ABAQUS. The main objective of this research is to model and extract the elastic mechanical properties of a polymeric nanocomposite with epoxy resin underlay with carbon fiber and glass as the first reinforcer and carbon nanotube as the second reinforcer. The axial and bending loading is applied to the element as a displacement and a single rotation. The results are as follows:
In composite three-phase epoxy resin, carbon fiber and carbon nanotube, CNT increased by 5%, axial stiffness 17.5% and bending stiffness 55% has increased. Also, by changing the carbon nanotube thickness (r = 0/75) and increasing it by 5%, the axial stiffness 28 % and bending stiffness 87/6 % increase and, if (r =0/5), the axial stiffness 35/5 % and bending stiffness 1.1 increased. In epoxy resin composites, glass fiber and carbon nanotubes also increase the stiffness according to the results of Chapter 4.