Elastic Constants Prediction of Hybrid Nanocomposite

In this paper a complete characterization of CNT-graphene reinforced hybrid nanocomposite in terms of its elastic constants is performed. Continuum mechanics based model is used to evaluate the effective elastic properties of hybrid nanocomposite using a square representative volume element (RVE) approach. Numerical results are obtained from finite element analysis of the RVE under different periodic boundary conditions using the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics and these results were validated with the results available in the literature and the obtained analytically using rule of mixtures. The effects of different matrix materials, ranging from soft polymer to stiff ceramics, and different volume fraction, on the elastic modulii of hybrid nanocomposite are also discussed. It was found that irrespective of volume fractions, hybrid nanocomposite offers better in-plane elastic properties than CNT nanocomposite, whereas the out-ofplane properties are better improved in the case of CNT nanocomposite.