Mechanical Properties of the Pt-CNT Composite under Uniaxial Deformation: Tension and Compression

Composite materials are gaining increasing attention from researchers worldwide due to their ability to offer tailored properties for various technical challenges. One of these promising fields is metal matrix composites, including carbon-reinforced metals and alloys. These materials allow for the reduction of density while simultaneously enhancing their functional properties. This study is focused on the Pt-CNT composite, its mechanical characteristics, and structural features under uniaxial deformation depending on temperature and mass fractions of carbon nanotube (CNT). The mechanical behavior of platinum reinforced with carbon nanotubes of diameters varying in the interval 6.62–16.55 Å under uniaxial tension and compression deformation has been studied by the molecular dynamics method. Simulations for tensile and compression deformations have been done for all specimens at different temperatures (viz. 300 K, 500 K, 700 K, 900 K, 1100 K, and 1500 K). The calculated mechanical characteristics allow us to conclude that, compared to pure platinum, the Young’s modulus increased by about 60%. The results indicate that yield and tensile strength values decreases with increase in temperature for all simulation blocks. This increase was due to the inherent high axial rigidity of CNTs. In this work, these characteristics are calculated for the first time for Pt-CNT. It can be concluded that CNTs can be an effective reinforcing material for composites based on a metal matrix under tensile strain.