Strength and structure of carbon-carbon reinforced composite

TL;DR

This study uses atomistic simulations to show that incorporating carbon nanotubes into graphite significantly enhances strength and stiffness, with potential applications in aerospace due to low thermal expansion.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how CNT dispersion affects the mechanical and thermal properties of carbon composites, demonstrating substantial improvements in Young's modulus.

Findings

CNT addition increases Young's modulus by 2-8 times

Thermal expansion coefficients remain below 1E-5 K-1

CNT dispersion critically influences composite properties

Abstract

The atomistic simulations of carbon nanotube (CNT) - carbon reinforced composite material are reported. The studied composite samples were obtained by impregnating certain amounts of CNTs (3,3) and (6,6) into pristine graphite matrix. The addition of CNTs is found to be of significant usefulness for nanotube-reinforced carbon composites since it allows to achieve extreme lightness and strength. Being impregnated into graphite matrix, nanotubes are able to increase the critical component of its highly anisotropic Young modulus by 2-8 times. The linear thermal expansion coefficients do not exceed 1E-5 K-1, making these composites applicable for aviation and space vehicles. The dispersion of CNTs within graphite matrix was found to drastically influence composite properties.