49th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference
7 - 10 April 2008, Schaumburg, Illinois

AIAA 2008-1947

Micromechanics Modeling of Polymer Nanocomposites
for use as Multifunctional Materials

Gary D. Seidel and Dimitris C. Lagoudas
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3141, USA

In the present work, a continuum micromechanics model is developed for XD grade
carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites. The micromechanics model makes use of both
the Mori-Tanaka and Composite Cylinder micromechanics techniques. As XD nanotubes
consist of a mixture of nanotube types and residual catalyst, the micromechanics model considers
several separate phases, some of which are randomly oriented. The micromechanics
model indicates that XD-polymer nanocomposites larger increases in nanocomposite properties
than SWCNT-polymer nanocomposites for elastic and thermal properties, but does
not capture the reported increases in electrical conductivity as the present model lacks
appropriate nanoscale effects associated with electrical percolation.