Volume 12, Issue 1, 2003

Fatigue BehavioUr of Unidirectional Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Epoxy Composite under Tensile Load

Y. Ren1, F. Li2, H. M. Cheng2, and K. Liao1,*

1School of Mechanical & Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 
2Shenyang National Laboratory for Material Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed

(Received 1/03; accepted 2/03)

Abstract

Tension-tension fatigue behaviour of unidirectional, aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) rope reinforced epoxy composites were studied. While the slope of the stress-life (S-N) curve of the SWNTs in SWNT/epoxy composites obtained is flat, similar to those of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites, the fatigue strength of the former is at least twice that of the latter. Morphology of the fatigue fracture surface of SWNT reinforced epoxy involves matrix plastic deformation and SWNT-bridged matrix cracks. Evidence of good adhesion between SWNTs and epoxy was seen, and pullout length of SWNTs from the matrix is about 30 mm. Results suggest that carbon nanotubes can be used for fatigue resistant, high fracture toughness composites.

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