The impact of MWCNT modification on the structural performance of polymeric composite profiles

The significant advantages of nanoparticles have motivated engineers to focus on development of structural integrity by use of these materials. This paper presents a comprehensive experimental study on the impact of nanomodification in laminated composite structures. The influence of nanomaterials on the mechanical performance is examined through the assessment of “residual stress,” “weight loss under thermal fatigue” and “delamination damage in machining operations” of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. In this case, different composite specimens were fabricated with 0% and 1% weight fraction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Then, the slitting method as an accurate semi-destructive technique was performed to measure the non-uniform residual stresses in terms of MWCNTs content. Also, the role of MWCNTs in the weight loss of the specimens with different thicknesses under thermal fatigue was analyzed. Additionally, the rotary ultrasonic drilling technique as a high-tech drilling operation was carried out and delamination damage of the GFRPs under machining process was measured. The results indicated that the addition of 1% MWCNTs results in a decrease of 30% and 2.33% in residual stress and delamination states, respectively.