Free Vibration Analysis of Functionally Graded Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Composite Plates with Arbitrary Domains and Discontinuities

Composite plates are structural elements that are commonly used in many fields, such as civil, aerospace and mechanical engineering. The mechanical response of these structures has been enhanced by the advancements in the manufacturing processes that characterized the last decades. In particular, the attention of both the academic research and the industry improvement is focused on the development of new classes of materials that can reasonably increase the structural performances. For these purposes, the class of granular composites defined by a gradual variation of the mechanical properties along the thickness of the structures has been developed. In the literature, they are typically named as Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs). The idea on which these composites are based on is also employed to specify the spatial variation of an extremely innovative reinforcing phase made of carbon nanofibers, known as Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs). It has been proven that the insertion of these particles in a polymeric matrix can drastically change the structural response of many structural elements. Since their discovery in the nineties, CNTs have revolutionized the classical idea of composite structures. The term “nanostructure” has been introduced to refer to these structural elements.