Stress Analysis of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Epoxy Laminated Nanocomposites

This study focuses on the stress analysis of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)-reinforced laminated nanocomposites (LNCs) with epoxy matrix material. Classical lamination theory (CLT) has been used, and finite element analysis (FEA) has been carried out for the stress analysis of quasi-isotropic laminate with different volume fractions of GNP (VGNP). Elastic properties obtained by the Halpin-Tsai model have been used for the stress analysis of the GNP/epoxy LNCs. Elastic properties of GNP/epoxy LNC increase significantly with an increase in VGNP. The values of stresses are found to be equal for the same lamina or ply orientations. The results indicate that maximum normal stress occurs along the x-direction in the 0° lamina and along the y-direction in the 90° lamina, in contrast to the other laminas in the LNCs. From stress analysis, it has been found that the optimum VGNP is equal to 35%. No unified conclusion can be drawn on the variation of stresses with the variation of VGNP at different laminas in the GNP/epoxy LNCs. A comparison has been presented between stresses obtained by CLT and FEA results; the difference between the two results for each laminate ply is found to be negligible.