ABSTRACT
Addition of nanomaterials to conventional composites as reinforcement resulted in a new generation of composites, namely, multiscale composites. Multiscale composites comprise reinforcements from two or more different length scales such as macro, micro and nano (three-phase), hence the name multiscale. The reinforcements usually involve a fibre such as carbon or glass fibre as well as a nanomaterial such as carbon nanotube (CNT) or graphene platelet. The most common way of developing multiscale composites is to incorporate the nanomaterial into the matrix. These composites exhibit high strength and stiffness to weight ratios as compared to fibre composites. In the present study, mechanical properties of three-phase composites are studied by micromechanical modelling. The bending behaviour of a CNT/fibre/polymer cross-ply laminate is investigated. Numerical results are given to study the effect of various problem parameters such as agglomeration and different fibre reinforcements.
