  This article provides an overview of the modeling of the effective
thermomechanical properties of the multifunctional carbon nanotube (CNT)
reinforced hybrid composites for advanced structural applications. The novel
constructional feature of such multifunctional CNT-reinforced hybrid composite
is that CNTs are radially grown on the circumferential surfaces of the carbon
fiber reinforcements. Several micromechanical models have been developed to
predict the effective thermomechanical properties of these multifunctional
CNT-reinforced hybrid composites. The waviness of CNTs is intrinsic to many
manufacturing processes and influences the thermomechanical behavior of
CNT-reinforced composites. An endeavor has also been made to investigate the
effect of wavy CNTs on the thermomechanical properties of the multifunctional
CNT-reinforced hybrid composites. Radially aligned CNTs grown on the
circumferential surfaces of the carbon fibers assure that the CNT-reinforced
hybrid composites are truly multifunctional and may be a promising advanced
next generation composite for structural applications.
