Extended Isogeometric Analysis for Fracture Behaviour of CNT Reinforced Materials Subjected to Thermo Mechanical Loading

Abstract

The significant advantage of composites over other pure materials has made a definite rise in the use of composites by several industries. Designs that aim to have lightweight and high-strength structures often make use of composites. These composites also offer a more comprehensive range of design options. The composites involve the reinforcement of various materials for property enhancement purposes, and one such well-known reinforcement material is the carbon nanotube (CNT). It then becomes important for the researchers to focus on examining the deformation, fracture, and other related issues that arise in structures made from nanocomposites. This is especially important because these materials may contain defects, discontinuities, or foreign inclusions that can impact their performance. Particularly noteworthy is the vulnerability of these materials to temperature-dependent failures due to prolonged exposure to mechanical or thermo-mechanical loads. In this context, our study endeavors to surmount these challenges by harnessing an advanced numerical technique known as extended isogeometric analysis (XIGA). This method has demonstrated its effectiveness in handling intricate real-world problems specifically in the presence of flaws. This method also aligns with the conventional fracture mechanics framework. This investigation seeks to elucidate the fracture characteristics of cracked CNT reinforced structures that also include: uncertainties the geometry of crack may inherit (e.g., strong and weak discontinuities), the properties of the material (e.g., fracture toughness, Young s modulus etc.), the loading conditions (e.g., mechanical, thermal, thermo-mechanical, etc.), etc. A comparative assessment of fracture analysis is conducted on a center crack within a homogeneous matrix, a carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced metal-matrix composite (specifically, Ti 6Al 4V), and a CNT-reinforced functionally graded material (FGM) comprising both metal (Ti 6Al 4V) and ceramic (ZrO2) components. Both mechanical and thermo