Failure detection and monitoring in polymer matrix composites subjected to static and dynamic loads using carbon nanotube networks

In this work, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used as a network of sensors to predict the failure region and to monitor the degradation of mechanical properties in laminated composites subjected to tensile and cyclic fatigue loadings. This is achieved by measuring the electrical resistance change in the semi-conductive MWCNT-fiber glass-epoxy polymer matrix composites. By partitioning the tensile and fatigue samples with electrically conductive probes, it is shown that with both increasing tensile load and number of cycles different resistance changes are detected in different regions and failure happens in the part in which higher resistance change was detected. In cyclic loading, when compared to strain gauge readings, resistance change measurements show more sensitivity in identifying the crack location, which gives this technique a good potential for monitoring damage during fatigue. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.