Enhancement of Friction between Carbon Nanotubes: An Efficient Strategy to Strengthen Fibers

摘要

Interfacial friction plays a crucial role in the mechanical properties ofcarbon nanotube based fibers, composites, and devices. Here we use moleculardynamics simulation to investigate the pressure effect on the friction withincarbon nanotube bundles. It reveals that the intertube frictional force can beincreased by a factor of 1.5 ~ 4, depending on tube chirality and radius, whenall tubes collapse above a critical pressure and when the bundle remainscollapsed with unloading down to atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the overallcross-sectional area also decreases significantly for the collapsed structure,making the bundle stronger. Our study suggests a new and efficient way toreinforce nanotube fibers, possibly stronger than carbon fibers, for usage atambient conditions.