Gaikwad P, Kowalik M, Jensen BD, van Duin A, Odegard GM. Molecular Dynamics Modeling of Interfacial Interactions between Flattened Carbon Nanotubes and Amorphous Carbon: Implications for Ultra-Lightweight Composites.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS 2022;
5:5915-5924. [PMID:
35492440 PMCID:
PMC9039962 DOI:
10.1021/acsanm.2c01280]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Flattened carbon nanotubes (flCNTs) naturally form in many carbon nanotube-based materials and can exhibit mechanical properties similar to round carbon nanotubes but with tighter packing and alignment. To facilitate the design, fabrication, and testing of flCNT-based composites for aerospace structures, computational modeling can be used to efficiently and accurately predict their performance as a function of processing parameters, such as reinforcement/matrix cross-linking. In this study, molecular dynamics modeling is used to predict the load transfer characteristics of the interface region between the flat region of flCNTs (i.e., bi-layer graphene) and amorphous carbon (AC) with various levels and locations of covalent bond cross-linking and AC mass density. The results of this study show that increasing the mass density of AC at the interface improves the load transfer capability of the interface. However, a much larger improvement is observed when cross-linking is added both to the flCNT-AC interface and between the flCNT sheets. With both types of cross-linking, substantial improvements in interfacial shear strength, transverse tension strength, and transverse tension toughness are predicted. The results of this study are important for optimizing the processing of flCNT/AC composites for demanding engineering applications.
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