Nano-composites and smart composite structures

智能材料和结构以及新兴的纳米复合材料的应用显著扩大，这就需要发展精确的建模和实验技术。现有的力学模型一般都是基于一定的简化和近似。因此，它们往往导致有效属性和局部属性的错误取值。这些特性的准确计算对于精细的分析和设计是至关重要的。本提案旨在解决这些问题。它由分析部分和实验部分组成。分析部分的目标是开发和应用新的数学精确方法，用于纳米复合材料和智能复合材料结构的建模、设计和优化。这包括开发能够研究微结构影响并考虑非线性、各向异性、耦合场和驱动特性的微观力学模型。新兴的纳米复合材料值得特别关注。基于量子点的半导体纳米复合材料使之能够在科学和技术中得到前所未有的应用。碳纳米管具有非凡的机械性能，使其成为有史以来最好的纤维。在本方案中，将为量子点基纳米复合材料和碳纳米管增强纳米复合材料建立新的严格的细观力学模型。本提案的实验部分将包括新型碳纳米管增强纳米复合材料的制造和测试，以及嵌入压电陶瓷纤维的脉冲智能复合材料的加工和测试。新的加工技术将被开发出来，以制备具有最佳定制性能的纳米复合材料。这将对其功能和完整性产生重大影响，并将使长期在役结构健康监测成为可能。拟议的研究计划将代表着重大的基础性贡献，它将产生对加拿大工业具有高度现实重要性的成果。这项建议的主要特点是在研究前沿领域对高素质人员进行高度培训。在五年内，将培养4名博士、6名硕士和25名本科生。

The remarkable expansion in the use of smart materials and structures and emerging nano-composites necessitate development of accurate modeling and experimental techniques. The existing mechanical models are commonly based on some simplifications and approximations. As a result, they often lead to wrong values of the effective and local properties. Accurate calculation of these properties is essential for the refined analysis and design. The present proposal is aimed to solve these issues. It consists of analytical and experimental parts. The objectives of the analytical part are to develop and apply new mathematically accurate methods of modeling, design and optimization for the nano-composite materials and smart composite structures. That includes development of micromechanical models capable of investigating effects of microstructure and taking into account non-linearity, anisotropy, coupled fields and actuation properties. The emerging nano-composites deserve special attention. Quantum dots-based semiconductor nano-composites enable never before seen applications to science and technology. The carbon nanotubes have extraordinary mechanical properties that qualify them as the ultimate fibers ever made. In the present proposal the new rigorous micromechanical models will be developed for the quantum dots-based nano-composites and for the carbon nanotube-reinforced nano-composites. The experimental part of the present proposal will encompass fabrication and testing of novel carbon-nanotube reinforced nano-composites, and processing and testing pulturded smart composites with embedded piezoceramic fibers. New processing technology will be developed to fabricate nano-composites with optimally tailored properties. That will have significant impact on their functionality and integrity, and will enable long-term in-service structural health monitoring. The proposed research program will represent major fundamental contribution and it will generate results of a high practical importance to the Canadian industry. The major feature of this proposal is high degree of training of highly qualified personnel in the frontier area of research. In five years 4 PhD, 6 M.A.Sc and 25 undergraduate students will be trained.