Abstract We present a multiscale modelling approach to explore the effects of a non-uniform concentration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the electrical conductivity of CNT-polymer composites. Realistic three-dimensional representative volume elements (RVEs) are generated from a two-dimensional CNT concentration map, obtained via microscopy techniques. The RVEs capture the measured probability density function of the CNT concentration and include a length-scale to represent the details of the spatial distribution of the concentration. The homogenized conductivity of the RVEs is computed via multiscale FE analyses for different values of such length-scale, and it is compared to measurements. The modelling strategy is then used to explore the effects of the microstructural features of these materials on their electrical conductivity.

中文翻译：

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具有聚合物基体和非均匀碳纳米管浓度的复合材料的导电性

摘要 我们提出了一种多尺度建模方法来探索非均匀浓度的碳纳米管 (CNT) 对 CNT-聚合物复合材料的电导率的影响。逼真的三维代表性体积元素 (RVE) 从二维 CNT 浓度图生成，通过显微镜技术获得。RVE 捕获 CNT 浓度的测量概率密度函数，并包括一个长度尺度来表示浓度空间分布的细节。RVE 的均质电导率是通过多尺度有限元分析计算的，用于这种长度尺度的不同值，并将其与测量值进行比较。然后使用建模策略来探索这些材料的微观结构特征对其导电性的影响。