On the mechanical response of carbon nanotube array laminated composite materials

The mechanical response of a nanoreinforced laminated composite (NRLC) with interspersed carbon nanotube arrays between the laminae under interlaminar shear, in-plane tensile, and out-of-plane compressive quasi-static loading was determined in an experimental study. It is revealed that the interlaminar shear and tensile properties of the NRLC are strongly dependent on the height of the carbon nanotube array. The highest mechanical properties are obtained for the NRLC with the shortest arrays. The interlaminar shear and in-plane tensile elastic properties of the NRLC increase up to 87% and decrease 16% with respect to those of the laminated composites without the arrays, respectively. The deformation mechanisms of the carbon nanotube array layer were also studied through simultaneous out-of-plane compression loading and optical or electron microscopy imaging. It is shown that the array layer toughens the laminated composite and that the carbon nanotubes bridge the cracks in the interlaminar interfaces.