Prof. Kim Meow Liew, City University of Hong Kong, China， It is widely accepted that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an
advanced material possessing high strength and stiffness as well as a high aspect ratio and low density. Research findings have reported the remarkable physical and mechanical properties of CNTs, making them a strong candidate for the reinforcements in polymer composites. The axial Young's modulus of single-walled carbon nanotube arrays with diameters ranging from nanometer to meter scales. The mechanical properties of CNTs are superior to those of carbon fibers. In recent studies, CNTs have been designed to be uniaxially aligned in an axial direction following the functionally graded pattern, leading to a new class of composite material – that is, the CNT reinforced functionally graded composite material. This CNT-reinforced composite can be used in the form of beam, plate or shell structural components. Because of their use in a variety of structures, studies of their mechanical behavior, in terms of bending, buckling, vibration, large deformation, postbuckling and large amplitude vibration have received considerable attention. In this talk, the effects of various geometric and material parameters on the mechanical behavior of CNT reinforced functionally graded structures will be presented.
