The discovery of hybrid boron nitride-carbon (BN-C) nanostructures has triggered enormous research interest in the design and fabrication of new generation nanocomposites. The robust design of these nanocomposites for target applications requires their mechanical strength to be characterized with a wide range of factors. This article presents a comprehensive study, with the aid of molecular dynamics analysis, of the tensile loading mechanics of BN-C nanosheet reinforced polyethylene (PE) nanocomposites. It is observed that the geometry and lattice arrangement of the BN-C nanosheet influences the tensile loading characteristics of the nanocomposites. Furthermore, defects in the nanosheet can severely impact the tensile loading resistance, the extent of which is determined by the defect's location. This study also found that the tensile loading resistance of nanocomposites tends to weaken at elevated temperatures. The interfacial mechanics of the BN-C nanocomposites are also investigated. This analysis revealed a strong dependency with the carbon concentration in the BN-C nanosheet.
Keywords: boron nitride–carbon nanosheet; mechanical properties; molecular dynamics analysis; polymer composite; vacancy defects.