Effect of interphase parameters on elastic modulus prediction for cellulose nanocrystal fiber reinforced polymer composite

摘要

In this study, the effective elastic modulus ( E_(c) ) of a cellulose nanocrystal fiber reinforced polymer composite was evaluated using the Mori-Tanaka and finite element (FE) model. The FE model was generated using a representative volume element with a periodic boundary condition. The mass fractions of the fiber in the composites ( MF_(f) ) were set to 1, 2, and 3 wt.%. Elastic modulus values for interphase were input and were either uniform or exhibited a gradient. The E_(c) for the uniform interphase region increased significantly with MF_(f) , but was relatively low for interphase regions exhibiting a gradient. The results show that interphase parameters must be considered carefully when predicting E_(c) using the FE model.