Experimental investigation of the damping enhancement in fiber-reinforced composites with carbon nanotubes

This study experimentally investigates the damping effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in the matrix of fiber-reinforced composite materials. Several different aspect ratios, types, and weight fractions of CNTs are considered, and an analysis of the CNT dispersion in the composite matrix is presented. The composite materials are analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis and various modal analysis techniques to determine the damping characteristics of the composite as a function of strain, fiber volume fraction, and nanotube type and weight percentage loading. Experiments are conducted using cantilevered beams in both a stationary and rotating frame in order to explore the effects of rotation on the damping behavior of the composite material. The results show that the addition of two weight percent of CNTs to the matrix of carbon fiber reinforced composites can increase the damping in a stationary composite beam by more than 130% and by more than 150% in a composite beam rotating at 500 RPM. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.