Multiscale finite element analyses on mechanical properties of graphene-reinforced composites

ABSTRACT

A new multiscale simulation method for analyzing the mechanical properties of graphene-reinforced composites is proposed. The atomistic and the macroscopic scales are combined in the proposed finite element modeling approach. In the nanoscale analysis, a space frame structure of graphene is selected, the carbon atoms are described as nodes, and the carbon–carbon covalent bonds are represented with nanoscale beams. The macroscopic homogeneous isotropic model of the matrix and the interface is included in the representative volume element of the composites. The effect of graphene volume fraction and different inclined angles on the mechanical properties of the composites is investigated under axial tension. The simulation results showed that with the increase in the graphene volume fraction, the Young's modulus of the composites was increased significantly. The Young's modulus of the composites was highly dependent on the size of graphene. The stress transfer in the interface of the composites was also analyzed using this multiscale approach.

KEYWORDS:

• Graphene
• composites
• multiscale modeling
• mechanical properties
• stress transfer

Acknowledgments

The author is currently a visiting research fellow at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The duration of visit is from July 2017 to July 2018. The authors thank Sai Wei for her assistance on this paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 11602160, 11402160]; the Scientific and Technological Innovation Programs of Higher Education Institutions in Shanxi [grant number 2017117]; the Opening Foundation for State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures [grant number SV2017-KF-01]; and the “1331 project” Key Innovation Teams of Shanxi Province.