Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Kim, Myungsoo
Author's Email Address	kimmy@eng.fsu.edu
URN	etd-05062009-015823
Title	Modeling, Manufacturing, and Characterization of Nanocomposites and Multiscale Composites
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Okenwa I. Okoli Committee Chair David Jack Committee Member Young-Bin Park Committee Member Zhiyong Liang Committee Member Sachin Shanbhag Outside Committee Member
Keywords	Carbon Nanotubes Design of Experiments (DOE) Nanocomposites Multiscale Composites Mechanical Modeling
Date of Defense	2009-04-03
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have excellent mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties making them outstanding reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. In this research, the effect of CNT-integration in polymer matrices (two-phase) and fiber-reinforced composites (three-phase) was studied theoretically and experimentally. This work sought to enhance the mechanical properties of composites by the improving dispersion of CNTs in polymers. This was achieved by optimizing the CNT/polymer composite manufacturing process. Generally, higher sonication intensity and longer sonication time improved the mechanical properties of CNT/polymer composites through improved CNT dispersion. Simulations for CNT/polymer composites (nanocomposites) and CNT/fiber/polymer composites (multiscale composites) were successfully carried out using a new method that combines nanocomposites micromechanics and woven fiber micromechanics. With this new method, the mechanical properties, including the Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and shear modulus, of nanocomposites and multiscale composites were predicted in terms of CNT loading in a polymer. The relationships between the mechanical properties of the composites and aspect ratios of the CNTs were studied and, as the third part of the simulation, the mechanical properties of multiscale composites that have no CNTs in the fiber strands were compared with those of multiscale composites that have CNTs in the fiber strands. In order to compare the predicted mechanical properties obtained by the simulations, nano and multiscale composites were manufactured and characterized. Good dispersion of the CNTs and strong bonding between the CNTs and polymer matrix and fibers and matrix are necessary to improve the mechanical properties of nanocomposites and multiscale composites.
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