A computational Finite Element Study for Optimizing the Biomedical Strength of MWCNT Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are highly regarded for reinforcing polymeric nano biocomposites, like polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), owing to their versatility across various biological applications such as such as dental crowns, artificial teeth and dentures. In this study micromechanical models were meticulously developed to evaluate PMMA matrices fortified with MWCNTs at varying weight percentages (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0%). The assessment was conducted using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) facilitated by ANSYS 2022 (Ansys, Inc., USA). Notably, the investigation focused on validating the tensile strength against experimental data, revealing the peak tensile strength at 0.5 wt% MWCNT. Moreover, models featuring isotropic filler orientations demonstrated remarkable alignment with experimental outcomes. Furthermore, the study delved into exploring the influence of diverse MWCNT filler diameters (ranging from 10 to 35 nm) on the tensile strength, indicating a direct correlation with increasing diameter. However, it was observed that the larger diameters tended to correlate with decreased compressive and flexural strength. These comprehensive findings underscore the promising potential of MWCNT reinforced PMMA nanocomposites in advancing biomedical research, where enhanced mechanical properties play a pivotal role.

Keywords:

• Finite element analysis
• multimulti-walled carbon nanotubes
• polymethylmethacrylate
• representative volume element model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).