Multiscale Modeling Electrospun Nanofiber Structures

The carbon nanotube (CNT) structure is a promising building block for future nanocomposite structures. Mechanical properties of the electrospun butadiene elastomer reinforced with CNT are analyzed by multiscale method. Effective properties of the fiber at microscale determined by homogenization procedure using modified shear-lag model, while on the macro scale effective properties for the point-bonded stochastic fibrous network determined by volume homogenization procedure using multilevel finite element. Random fibrous network was generated according experimentally determined stochastic quantificators. Influence of CNT reinforcement on elastic modulus of electrospun sheet on macroscopic level is determined.