Finite element modelling of micromachining process for epoxy/graphene nanoplatelet nanocomposites

Polymer-based composite materials reinforced with graphene derivatives have attracted increasing attention from academia and industry, but our understanding of the cutting mechanism of these new materials is incomplete. This paper develops a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model to investigate the cutting mechanism of polymer matrix nanocomposites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelet (GNP). A new material constitutive model developed for polymers based on the Mulliken-Boyce Model using Abaqus employs the random distribution of nanoparticles. Continuous chips are observed for both plain epoxy and epoxy/GNP, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. The effects of GNP nanoparticles on the stress propagation, chip formation, and surface morphology are also investigated.