Laser materials processing with ultra-short pulses allows very precise and high quality results with a minimum extent of the thermally affected zone. However, with increasing average laser power and repetition rates the so-called heat accumulation effect becomes a considerable issue. The following discussion presents a comprehensive analytical treatment of multi-pulse processing and reveals the...

We present a Finite Element (FE) approach to model the conductivity and strain-sensing capabilities of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer composites. A periodic Representative Volume Element (RVE) is constructed based on measurable statistical descriptors of the microstructure, and its response is simulated by concurrent electrical and mechanical FE analyses; the scatter of the prediction...

The concept of lightweight design is widely employed for designing and constructing aerospace structures that can sustain extreme loads while also being fuel-efficient. Popular lightweight materials such as aluminum alloy and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) possess outstanding mechanical properties, but their structural integrity requires constant assessment to ensure structural safety. Next-g...

In the present work, multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) reinforced UHMWPE composite films were prepared by electrostatic spraying followed by consolidation. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry studies showed a decrease in the crystallinity of UHMWPE due to the nature of the fabrication process as well as addition of MWNT. Tensile test showed an 82% increase in the Young’s mo...

This study focuses on the manufacture of carbon nanotubes using the arc discharge method. Several independent variables were changed, such as the current (80 and 100 A), an atmosphere of open air or argon and the catalyst (no catalyst, Fe or a mixture of Fe/Co,Ni). Only one set of parameters yielded MWNTs, involving Fe as the catalyst and an open air atmosphere. I. INTRODUCTION There has been i...

Liquid crystalline thermosetting epoxy, 4,4'-diglycidyloxy-α-methylstilbene (DOMS) was synthesized and characterized with cross-polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Carbon nanotube (CNT) or graphene reinforced DOMS composites were fabricated by melt blending with sulfanilamide (SAA) as a curing agent. To investigate the thermal degradation behavior, th...

The mechanical properties of the multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/epoxy composites affected by carboxyl and amino functionalized MWCNT are investigated. Tensile tests of the specimens were carried out to obtain mechanical properties of MWCNT/epoxy composites for various weight-percents (wt %) of MWCNTs. In order to properly predict the mechanical properties of MWCNT reinforced epoxy composi...

Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymeric composites provide a promising future in structural engineering. To understand the bridging effect of CNT in the events of the fracture of CNT reinforced composites, the finite element method was applied to simulate a single CNT pullout from a polymeric matrix using cohesive zone modelling. The numerical results indicate that the debonding force during...