An improved shear-lag model for carbon nanotube reinforced polymer composites

An improved shear-lag model has been proposed for assessing the interface characteristics of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer–matrix composites (PMCs). Instead of considering any possible chemical bonding at the CNT/matrix interface, this study focuses on stress transferring mechanism of nanotube arising from the combined effects of mechanical interlocking, Poisson’s contraction, thermal mismatch and van der Waals interactions. Analytical solutions are derived for axial and interfacial shear stresses and parametric study has also been conducted to obtain the effect of key composite parameters. This enhanced model is then used to understand true stress transferring mechanism of CNT reinforced polymer composites.