Fracture behaviour of cracked carbon nanotube‐based polymer composites: Experiments and finite element simulations

This paper studies the fracture behaviour of cracked carbon nanotube (CNT)‐based polymer composites by a combined numerical–experimental approach. Tensile tests were conducted on single‐edge cracked plate specimens of CNT/polycarbonate composites at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), and the critical loads for fracture instabilities were determined. Elastic–plastic finite element simulations of the tests were then performed to evaluate the J‐integrals corresponding to the experimentally determined critical loads. Scanning electron microscopy examinations were also made on the specimen fracture surfaces, and the fracture mechanisms of the CNT‐based composites were discussed.