In this paperwe investigate themechanical behavior of carbonfiber composites,where the carbonfibers are coated with radially aligned carbon nanotubes. For this purpose we develop a general micromechanics method for fiber composites, where fibers are coated with radially aligned microfibers (‘‘fuzzy fiber’’ composites). The mechanical effective properties are computed with a special extension of...

The objective of this study is to develop a multiscale modeling approach to predict the influence of molecular structure and microstructure on the bulk-level properties of a graphite/epoxy plain-woven fabric composite in which the resin-rich regions are reinforced with carbon nanotubes. The modeling approach incorporates molecular modeling and micromechanics techniques. A parametric study shows...

Micromechanics design theory has realized Random Short Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites (RSFRCC) showing Pseudo Strain Hardening (PSH) behavior with over 5 % of strain capacity under tension. Nevertheless, this existing theory is currently limited to specific constituent properties, which does not account for chemical bond and fiber rupture. This article presents a new design theory which eli...

The micromechanics design theory has realized random short fiber-reinforced cement composites showing pseudostrain hardening (PSH) behavior with over 5% of strain capacity under tension. Nevertheless, this existing theory currently is limited to specific constituent properties, which does not account for chemical bond and fiber rupture. This article presents a new design theory that eliminates ...

Cross-ply laminates reinforced with basalt fibers and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated from unidirectional epoxy prepregs. MWCNTs with varied surface conditions were prepared by oxidization or esterification, and then dispersed into a DGEBA epoxy system. The dispersion of the MWCNTs in the epoxy was improved by surface modification, resulting in improved com...

Graphene oxide (GO) has become a well-established reinforcement for polymer-based nanocomposites. It provides stronger interfacial interaction with the matrix when compared with that of graphene, but its intrinsic stiffness and strength are somewhat compromised because of the presence of functional groups damaging the graphene lattice and increasing its thickness, and its tendency to adopt a cr...

One of the key aspects governing the mechanical performance of composite materials is debonding: the local separation of reinforcing constituents from matrix when the interfacial strength is exceeded. In this contribution, two strategies to estimate the overall response of particulate composites with rigid-brittle interfaces are investigated. The first approach is based on a detailed numerical ...