Effect of reinforcements, temperature and defect on mechanical properties of aluminum nanocomposites reinforced with carbon nanotube and graphene: A molecular dynamics study

Numerous industries widely utilize aluminum metal because of its excellent properties. Therefore, enhancing the strength and tensile strength of aluminum holds significant importance. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation was used to investigate the effect of increasing the number of graphene nanosheets and carbon nanotubes with defects and without defects in the aluminum matrix under different temperatures. The simulation results show that by adding the number of reinforcements (1 to 4) to the aluminum matrix, the Young's modulus of the nanocomposites improved for graphene nanosheets (88 to 252 GPa) and carbon nanotubes (79 to 138 GPa). Also, the presence of defects in graphene nanosheets and carbon nanotubes reduces Young's modulus and tensile strength of aluminum nanocomposites. In addition, as the temperature of nanocomposites increased (250 to 500 ͦ K), the tensile strength and Young's modulus decreased. The results of this study provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties and behavior of aluminum nanocomposites reinforced with several graphene nanoplates and carbon nanotubes.