Buckling of hybrid nanocomposites with embedded graphene and carbon nanotubes

• An atomistic multiscale modelling approach is adopted to determine buckling strength.
• Single walled carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets and hybrid systems are investigated.
• Eigen-value and nonlinear large deformation methods are employed in our simulations.
• Debonding, damage in matrix and contact between fillers are some features modelled.
• Our predictions are compared successfully with results available in literature.

With the aid of atomistic multiscale modelling and analytical approaches, buckling strength has been determined for carbon nanofibres/epoxy composite systems. Various nanofibres configurations considered are single walled carbon nano tube (SWCNT) and single layer graphene sheet (SLGS) and SLGS/SWCNT hybrid systems. Computationally, both eigen-value and non-linear large deformation-based methods have been employed to calculate the buckling strength. The non-linear computational model generated here takes into account of complex features such as debonding between polymer and filler (delamination under compression), nonlinearity in the polymer, strain-based damage criteria for the matrix, contact between fillers and interlocking of distorted filler surfaces with polymer. The effect of bridging nanofibres with an interlinking compound on the buckling strength of nano-composites has also been presented here. Computed enhancement in buckling strength of the polymer system due to nano reinforcement is found to be in the range of experimental and molecular dynamics based results available in open literature. The findings of this work indicate that carbon based nanofillers enhance the buckling strength of host polymers through various local failure mechanisms.