Simulation of the Electromechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Polymer Nanocomposites for Strain Sensing

We present a Finite Element (FE) approach to model the conductivity and strain-sensing capabilities of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer composites. A periodic Representative Volume Element (RVE) is constructed based on measurable statistical descriptors of the microstructure, and its response is simulated by concurrent electrical and mechanical FE analyses; the scatter of the predictions and their sensitivity to RVE size are explored. The model captures the nanoscale tunneling effect and its sensitivity to the imposed strain field. Predictions are found in good agreement with previously published data.