Free Vibration Analysis of TiO2 on Carbon/Epoxy Composite Tubes

This research paper determines the vibrational response of different weight percentages of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on carbon/epoxy composite tubes. The modal analysis was performed using Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP) with fixed-fixed and cantilever boundary conditions. The models were analyzed with a winding angle of ±55° and compared with winding angles ±65° and ±75°. Modal analysis was also performed by embracing flax fibers on Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) nanocomposite tubes with different layering sequences such as Carbon/Carbon/Carbon/Flax (C/C/C/F), Carbon/Flax/Carbon/Flax (C/F/C/F), and Carbon/Flax/Flax/Flax (C/F/F/F). The results indicated that, by the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles, the natural frequency of CFRP nanocomposite tubes gets increased. The natural frequencies were found to be higher in the fixed-fixed case than in cantilever conditions. The natural frequency of nanocomposite tubes with a winding angle of ±55° had shown approximately 4% and 6% higher when compared to nanocomposite tubes with winding angles ±65° and ±75°, respectively. With the inclusion of flax fibers on CFRP nanocomposite tubes, natural frequencies get diminished by approximately 2%.