Tensile Test Analysis of a Carbon Fiber Composite Material by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Abstract

In this study, the tensile strength at a carbon fiber/epoxy resin interface was investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulated tension speed and strength were initially estimated, and a realistic tension speed was subsequently selected. The tensile strength calculated using the simulation was in good agreement with the experimental data. Based on the this study and our previous work, we analyzed the contributing factors to tensile strength. The surface energy between the graphene sheet and resin as well as the molecular structure of the resin in the vicinity of graphene significantly affected the tensile strength. In addition, MD simulations were shown to be a useful tool for composite material prediction and analysis.