Stiffness threshold of randomly distributed carbon nanotube networks

Abstract eng:
The properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks (CNTNs) may change suddenly with the variation of network density, such as the onset of conductivity at the electrical percolation threshold. In this paper, the stiffness of CNTNs is studied and especially the existence of stiffness threshold is revealed. Two stiffness thresholds, which are critical densities to judge whether or not the network can carry load and whether or not it can carry load effectively respectively, are found by theoretical analysis as well as numerical simulation, and are predicted by simple invariants. The two thresholds divide the stiffness behaviour into three stages: zero stiffness, bending dominated and stretching dominated stages, which can be described by a piecewise function of network density and the CNT aspect ratio. This work provides a theoretical foundation for the design optimization and property prediction of CNTNs.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket