Mechanical analysis of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composites : A review

Research activities related to functionally graded materials (FGMs) have increased rapidly in recent years. The superlative properties of carbon nanotubes, i.e. high strength, high stiffness, high aspect ratio and low density have made them an excellent reinforcement for composite materials. Inspired by the concept of FGMs, the functionally graded (FG) pattern of reinforcement has been applied for functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) materials. This paper attempts to identify and highlight topics relevant to FG-CNTRC and reviews the recent research works that have been reported in these topics. The present review includes: (i) a brief introduction of carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) material; (ii) a review of mechanical analysis of FG-CNTRC; and (iii) a detailed discussion on the recent advances of FG-CNTRC and its prospect.