Mechanical and Electrical Characterization of Entangled Networks of Carbon Nanofibers

Arash K Mousavi; Mark A Atwater; Behnam K Mousavi; Mohammad Jalalpour; Mahmoud Reda Taha; Zayd C Leseman

doi:10.3390/ma7064845

Mechanical and Electrical Characterization of Entangled Networks of Carbon Nanofibers

Materials (Basel). 2014 Jun 23;7(6):4845-4853. doi: 10.3390/ma7064845.

Authors

Arash K Mousavi¹, Mark A Atwater², Behnam K Mousavi³, Mohammad Jalalpour⁴, Mahmoud Reda Taha⁵, Zayd C Leseman⁶

Affiliations

¹ Mechanical Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. mousavi@unm.edu.
² Applied Engineering, Millersville University, Millersville, PA 17551, USA. mark.atwater@millersville.edu.
³ Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. behnamkm@unm.edu.
⁴ Civil Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. mj95@unm.edu.
⁵ Civil Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. mrtaha@unm.edu.
⁶ Mechanical Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. zleseman@unm.edu.

Abstract

Entangled networks of carbon nanofibers are characterized both mechanically and electrically. Results for both tensile and compressive loadings of the entangled networks are presented for various densities. Mechanically, the nanofiber ensembles follow the micromechanical model originally proposed by van Wyk nearly 70 years ago. Interpretations are given on the mechanisms occurring during loading and unloading of the carbon nanofiber components.

Keywords: carbon; entangled; nanofibers.