Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube (VA-CNT) arrays/turfs are a new class
of nanomaterial that possess excellent mechanical, electrical and
thermal properties and promise tremendous potential for widespread
applications in several areas of engineering. This has triggered an
utmost need to understand the behaviors of these nanomaterials to
explore and realize their full potential to be able to efficiently
design and implement new structures and devices. The approach here is
based on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME), linking
material models at nanoscale, mesoscale and structural scale levels.
Mechanical responses of both 'template' and 'template-free' grown
VA-CNTs resembling that of low density foam beginning with individual
nanotube are studied. The architectures and geometric parameters-tube
configuration, diameter, height, packing density, tube distribution
pattern in the VA-CNTs have been thoroughly examined. The understanding
developed will help to further explore the VA-CNT's for several
multifunctional applications as in development of flow sensors,
supercapacitors, interconnects, hybrid composites, energy generation,
storage, dissipation devices and more.
