Mitigation of notch sensitivity by controlled alignment of carbon nanotubes in epoxy using electric field application

A novel process design methodology for mitigating notch sensitivity in CNT/epoxy nanocomposite plates containing rectangular filleted notches has been presented in this work. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MW-CNTs) were selectively oriented in target zones around the notch using a controlled transient non-uniform electric field to alleviate stress concentration effects during tensile loading. The improvement in overall tensile strength of the...