Study of Composite Joint Strength With Carbon Nanotube Reinforcement

Strengthening of composite joints is a topic of recent research. The benefits of using locally applied carbon nanotubes to reinforce a carbon fiber composite joint were studied. The effect of carbon nanotubes on enhancing the fracture toughness and joint interface strength was investigated by performing Mode I and Mode II fracture with and without carbon nanotubes applied locally at the joint interface. During the study, the image correlation technique was used to examine the fracture mechanisms altered by the introduction of carbon nanotubes. The experimental study showed that carbon nanotubes increased the fracture toughness of the composite interface significantly, especially for the Mode II fracture, with altering the fracture mechanism.