Title: Influence of Structural Defects on the Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes and Their Polymer Composites

G. Dominguez-Rodriguez,F. Aviles
Centro de Investigacion Cientifica de Yucatan, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

A. Tapia,
Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

G.D. Seidel,
Dept. of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

Advanced Engineering Materials -- 2016 -- Vol. 18, No. 11, pp. 1897-1905

Abstract
The influence of carbon nanotube (CNT) structural damage (CNTSD) on the axial and transverse electrical conductivities of CNT/polymer composites is explored through a hierarchical multiscale modeling strategy. The composite cylinder and Mori–Tanaka's methods are used to model effective representative volume elements of CNT/polymer composites containing different fractions of defects. The axial and transverse CNT conductivities are adversely influenced by CNTSD, with the decrease being more pronounced for small radius CNTs. The predictions indicate that an 8% fraction of CNTSD decreases the axial and transverse conductivities of composites containing randomly oriented CNTs by 25–30%. Similar reductions in conductivity are found for both random and clustered damage.