Electro-Mechanical Finite Element Analysis of CNT Based Piezoresistive Composites: A Multiscale Approach

Surgical Cranioplasty procedures are performed post-decompressive craniectomy. Monitoring intracranial pressure fluctuations using smart implants will lead to confident decisions in performing decompressive craniectomy. We present the Carbon nanotube (CNT) based, multiscale approach analysis of epoxy composites. Carbon nanotube (CNT) based epoxy composites are piezoresistive and biocompatible. Fully coupled Electro-mechanical finite element analysis is performed using in-house codes developed in FORTRAN and implemented in ABAQUS through user-defined elements with electrical and displacement degrees of freedom. A multiscale approach is presented. Microstructures of different morphologies and grain numbers are analyzed. Macroscale implementation is shown in classical and metamaterial cranial implant meshes. Piezoelectric coefficients and mechanical properties used in the analysis are obtained using Python's Representative Volume Element (RVE) approach. Microstructures are developed using open-source NEPER codes. MATLAB scripts create a mesh to visualize User elements in ABAQUS. Stress–strain, Residual stress, and force displacements at different electrical potentials are shown. A good agreement with the literature is found for the developed coupled electro-mechanical model.