On the mechanical properties of atomic and 3D printed zeolite-templated carbon nanotube networks

Specific strength (strength/density) is a crucial factor while designing high load-bearing structures for aerospace and defense applications. The strength of the material can be enhanced by blending it with high strength components and/or fillers, but both options have limitations, such as that the materials can still fail due to poor filler and matrix interactions. Therefore, there is a great interest in enhancing the strength of materials by playing with topology/geometry. In this work, we have investigated the mechanical properties of zeolite-templated carbon nanotube networks (CNTnets). Atomic models were used to generate macro models that were 3D printed. The mechanical properties of CNTnets were investigated through fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and load-bearing tests. Our results show that several aspects of mechanical behavior proved to be scale-independent. The 3D printed structures were able to support high compressive loads without structural failure. Such complex architectures can be exploited for ultralight aerospace and automotive parts.