Buckling analysis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes: a continuum model accounting for van der Waals interaction

Explicit formulas are derived for the van der Waals (vdW) interaction between any two layers of a multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT). Based on the derived formulas, an efficient algorithm is established for the buckling analysis of multi-walled CNTs, in which individual tubes are modeled as a continuum cylindrical shell. The explicit expressions are also derived for the buckling of double-walled CNTs. In previous studies by Ru (J. Appl. Phys. 87 (2000b) 7227) and Wang et al. (Int. J. Solids Struct. 40 (2003) 3893), only the vdW interaction between adjacent two layers was considered and the vdW interaction between the other two layers was neglected. The vdW interaction coefficient was treated as a constant that was not dependent on the radii of the tubes. However, the formulas derived herein reveal that the vdW interaction coefficients are dependent on the change of interlayer spacing and the radii of the tubes. With the increase of radii, the coefficients approach constants, and the constants between two adjacent layers are about 10% higher than those reported by Wang et al. (Int. J. Solids. Struct. 40 (2003) 3893). In addition, the numerical results show that the vdW interaction will lead to a higher critical buckling load in multi-walled CNTs. The effect of the tube radius on the critical buckling load of a multi-walled CNT is also examined.     

Influence of elastic foundations and carbon nanotube reinforcement on the hydrostatic buckling pressure of truncated conical shells

In this study, the effects of elastic foundations(EFs) and carbon nanotube(CNT) reinforcement on the hydrostatic buckling pressure(HBP) of truncated conical shells(TCSs) are investigated. The first order shear deformation theory(FOSDT) is generalized to the buckling problem of TCSs reinforced with CNTs resting on the EFs for the first time. The material properties of composite TCSs reinforced with CNTs are graded linearly according to the thickness coordinate. The Winkler elastic foundation(W-EF) and Pasternak elastic foundation(P-EF) are considered as the EF. The basic relations and equations of TCSs reinforced with CNTs on the EFs are obtained in the framework of the FOSDT and solved using the Galerkin method. One of the innovations in this study is to obtain a closed-form solution for the HBP of TCSs reinforced with CNTs on the EFs. Finally, the effects of the EFs and various types CNT reinforcements on the HBP are investigated simultaneously. The obtained results are compared with the results in the literature, and the accuracy of results is confirmed.     

Modeling of van der Waals force for infinitesimal deformation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes treated as cylindrical shells

This paper models van der Waals (vdW) force for axially compressed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), whereby each tube is treated as a cylindrical shell continuum. Explicit formulas are derived for predicting the critical axial strain of a triple-walled CNT using a more refined vdW model. The analysis of a cylindrical shell continuum model of multi-walled CNTs using this refined vdW force model is carried out to study the influence of the effect of vdW interaction between different layers of a CNT and the size effect of a CNT on the vdW interaction. It is shown herein that the greatest contribution to the vdW interaction comes from the adjacent layers and the contribution from a remote layer may be neglected. The vdW interaction is found to be strongly dependent on the radius of the tube, especially when the radius is small enough (<7 nm). When the radius is large enough (>40 nm), the vdW interaction coefficient c_ij can be taken as a constant value (i.e. independent of radius). However, these constant values are different for the vdW interaction between two different layers of a multi-walled CNT. The effect of the vdW interaction on the critical axial strain of a triple-walled CNT for the cases of before and after buckling is also examined for various innermost radii.     

Mechanical behaviour of carbon nanotubes under combined twisting–bending

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the mechanical behaviour (strength and stiffness) of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) under combinations of bending and twisting. In order to achieve this goal, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of bended and twisted CNTs are performed. The LAMMPS code is used, the AIREBO potential is considered for CC bonds, the temperature is kept at 300 K and incremental bending and twisting rotations are imposed to the CNT. Two types of CNTs are analyzed, including zig-zag (8,0) and armchair (5,5) CNTs with similar radius and length. The CNTs are also analyzed for pure bending and pure twisting. The main results are shown in the form of diagrams of energy and moment against imposed rotations. Some relevant conclusions are drawn concerning the influence of loading (bending and twisting) on the stiffness, strength and failure of CNTs: namely, it is concluded that armchair CNTs possess higher strength and fracture toughness under twisting–bending loading than zigzag CNTs; additionally, it is found that both CNTs (armchair and zigzag) still support moderate-to-high bending levels without failure after being extremely twisted and torsionally buckled, even for twisting angles four times those corresponding to torsional buckling; finally, the results prove that CNTs, mostly armchair ones, exhibit very high twisting–bending stiffness and strength and can be used with confidence as torsional spring elements in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).     

Non-Linear Dynamic Response of a Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Subjected to Radial Impulse

This paper investigates non-linear dynamic response of a single wall carbon nanotube (CNT) based on a thin-walled shell mode. Following the subsequent motion of a single wall (CNT) under radial impulsive pressure, a nonlinear dynamic response may occur through interaction of circumferential membrane force with flexural curvature. The results carried out show that the initial deformation energy in the single wall CNT will be transferred, over a number of cycles, from the breathing mode to one or two high flexural modes, so that the nonlinear flexural stress of the single wall CNT is significantly higher than that given by linear theory. The principal point of interest are the conditions for significant interaction to occur and the increased flexural stress associated with the altered radial motion of a single wall CNT. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Torsional buckling of a double-walled carbon nanotube embedded in an elastic medium

The torsional buckling of a double-walled carbon nanotube embedded in an elastic medium is studied in this paper. The effects of surrounding elastic medium and van der Waals forces between the inner and outer nanotubes are taken into account. Using continuum mechanics, an elastic double-shell model is presented for the torsional buckling of a double-walled carbon nanotube. Based on the model, a condition is derived in terms of the buckling modes of the shell and the parameters describing the effect of van der Waals interaction and surrounding elastic medium. A simplified analysis is also carried out estimate the critical torque for torsional buckling of the double-walled carbon nanotube.     

Helical coil buckling mechanism for a stiff nanowire on an elastomeric substrate

When a stiff nanowire is deposited on a compliant soft substrate, it may buckle into a helical coil form when the system is compressed. Using theoretical and finite element method (FEM) analyses, the detailed three-dimensional coil buckling mechanism for a silicon nanowire (SiNW) on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate is studied. A continuum mechanics approach based on the minimization of the strain energy in the SiNW and elastomeric substrate is developed. Due to the helical buckling, the bending strain in SiNW is significantly reduced and the maximum local strain is almost uniformly distributed along SiNW. Based on the theoretical model, the energy landscape for different buckling modes of SiNW on PDMS substrate is given, which shows that both the in-plane and out-of-plane buckling modes have the local minimum potential energy, whereas the helical buckling model has the global minimum potential energy. Furthermore, the helical buckling spacing and amplitudes are deduced, taking into account the influences of the elastic properties and dimensions of SiNWs. These features are verified by systematic FEM simulations and parallel experiments. As the effective compressive strain in elastomeric substrate increases, the buckling profile evolves from a vertical ellipse to a lateral ellipse, and then approaches to a circle when the effective compressive strain is larger than 30%. The study may shed useful insights on the design and optimization of high-performance stretchable electronics and 3D complex nano-structures.     

Effects of layer number and initial pressure on continuum-based buckling analysis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes accounting for van der Waals interaction

The structural instability of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has captured extensive attention due to the unique characteristic of extremely thin hollow cylinder structure. The previous studies usually focus on the buckling behavior without considering the effects of the wall number and initial pressure. In this paper, the axial buckling behavior of MWCNTs with the length-to-outermost radius ratio less than 20 is investigated within the framework of the Donnell shell theory. The governing equations for the infinitesimal buckling of MWCNTs are established, accounting for the van der Waals (vdW) interaction between layers. The effects of the wall number, initial pressure prior to buckling, and aspect ratio on the critical buckling mode, buckling load, and buckling strain are discussed, respectively. Specially, the four-walled and twenty-walled CNTs are studied in detail, indicating the fact that the buckling instability may occur in other layers besides the outermost layer. The obtained results extend the buckling analysis of the continuum-based model, and provide theoretical support for the application of CNTs.     

Dynamic and buckling analysis of polymer hybrid composite beam with variable thickness

This work deals with a study of the dynamic and buckling analysis of polymer hybrid composite(PHC) beam. The beam has variable thickness and is reinforced by carbon nanotubes(CNTs) and nanoclay(NC) simultaneously. The governing equations are derived based on the first shear deformation theory(FSDT). A three-phase HalpinTsai approach is used to predict the mechanical properties of the PHC. We focus our attention on the effect of the simultaneous addition of NC and CNT on the vibration and buckling analysis of the PHC beam with variable thickness. Also a comparison study is done on the sensation of three impressive parameters including CNT, NC weight fractions, and the shape factor of fillers on the mechanical properties of PHC beams,as well as fundamental frequencies of free vibrations and critical buckling load. The results show that the increase of shape factor value, NC, and CNT weight fractions leads to considerable reinforcement in mechanical properties as well as increase of the dimensionless fundamental frequency and buckling load. The variation of CNT weight fraction on elastic modulus is more sensitive rather than shear modulus but the effect of NC weight fraction on elastic and shear moduli is fairly the same. The shape factor values more than the medium level do not affect the mechanical properties.     

Torsional,flexural, and torsional-flexural buckling modes of a cylindrical shell under combined loading

Stability problems for cylindrical shells under various loading modes were considered in numerous papers. A detailed analysis of such problems can be found, e.g., in the monograph [1]. We refer to the solutions presented in this monograph as classical.For long cylindrical shells in axial compression, one of the buckling modes is the purely beam flexural mode similar to the classical buckling mode of a straight rod. It is well known that it can be studied by using the nonlinear or linearized equations of the membrane theory of shells. In [2], it was shown that, on the basis of such equations constructed starting from the noncontradictory version of geometrically nonlinear elasticity relations in the quadratic approximation [3], under the separate action of the axial compression, external pressure, and torsion, there are also previously unknown nonclassical buckling modes, most of which are shear ones.In the present paper, we show that the use of the above equations for cylindrical shells under compression and external pressure with simultaneous pure torsion or bending permits revealing the earlier unknown torsional, beam flexural, and beam torsional-flexural buckling modes, which are nonclassical, just as those found in [2]. The second of these buckling modes is realized when axially compressing forces are formed in the shell with simultaneous torsion, and the third of them is realized under compression combined with pure bending.It was found that, earlier than the classical buckling modes, the torsional buckling modes can be realized for relatively short shells with small shear rigidity in the tangent plane, while the second and third buckling modes can be realized for relatively long shells.     

Nonlinear in-plane thermal buckling of rotationally restrained functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite shallow arches under uniform radial loading

The nonlinear in-plane instability of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) shallow circular arches with rotational constraints subject to a uniform radial load in a thermal environment is investigated. Assuming arches with thickness-graded material properties, four different distribution patterns of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered. The classical arch theory and Donnell’s shallow shell theory assumptions are used to evaluate the arch displacement field, and the analytical solutions of buckling equilibrium equations and buckling loads are obtained by using the principle of virtual work. The critical geometric parameters are introduced to determine the criteria for buckling mode switching. Parametric studies are carried out to demonstrate the effects of temperature variations, material parameters, geometric parameters, and elastic constraints on the stability of the arch. It is found that increasing the volume fraction of CNTs and distributing CNTs away from the neutral axis significantly enhance the bending stiffness of the arch. In addition, the pretension and initial displacement caused by the temperature field have significant effects on the buckling behavior.     

Koiter circles in the buckling of axially compressed conical shells

As is well known, the elastic stability of shell structures under certain loading conditions is characterised by a severely unstable postbuckling behaviour. The presence of simultaneous buckling modes (‘competing’ modes corresponding to the same critical buckling load) is deemed to be largely responsible for such a behaviour. In the present paper, within the framework of the so-called classical theory (linear bifurcation eigenvalue analysis), the buckling behaviour of axially compressed cylindrical shells is firstly reviewed. Accordingly, doubly periodic eigenvectors (buckling modes) corresponding to the same eigenvalue (critical buckling load) can be determined, and their locus in a dimensionless meridional and circumferential buckling wavenumber space is described by a circle (known as the Koiter circle). In the case of axially compressed conical shells, no clear evidence of the existence of simultaneous buckling modes can be found in the literature. Then, such a problem is studied here via linear eigenvalue finite element analyses, showing that simultaneous doubly periodic modes do also occur for cones, and that their locus in a specifically defined dimensionless wavenumber space can be described by an ellipse (hereafter termed as the Koiter ellipse) whose aspect ratio is dependent on the tapering angle of the cone.     

Nonlinear optical vibrations of single-walled carbon nanotubes

We demonstrate the new specific phenomenon of the long-time resonant energy exchange in the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the two optical branches - the Circumferential Flexure Mode (CFM) and Radial Btreathing Mode (RBM). It is shown that the modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation, obtained in the framework of nonlinear elastic thin shell theory, allows to describe the CNT nonlinear dynamics connected with considered frequency bands. Comparative analysis of the oscillations of the CFM and RBM branches shows the principal difference between nonlinearity effects. If the nonlinear resonant interaction of the low-frequency modes in the CFM branch leads to the energy capture in the some domain of the CNT, the same interaction in the RBM branch does not appear any tendency to the energy localization. The reason of such a distinction is the difference of the non-linear terms in the equations of motion. If the CFMs are specified by the soft power nonlinearity, the RBM dynamics is determined by the hard gradient nonlinearity. Moreover, in contrast to CFM the importance of nonlinearity in the case of RBM oscillations decreases with increasing of the length to radius ratio. The numerical integration of the thin shell theory equations confirms the results of the analytical study.     

Plane instability problem for a composite reinforced with a periodic row of short parallel fibers

The instability of a composite material reinforced with a periodic row of parallel short fibers is studied considering the interaction of neighboring fibers. Emphasis is on the mutual influence of short fibers in the matrix during loss of stability, depending on the distance between them. A piecewise-homogeneous medium model and the three-dimensional linearized theory of stability of deformable bodies are used     

A theory of plasticity for carbon nanotube reinforced composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess exceptional mechanical properties, and when introduced into a metal matrix, it could significantly improve the elastic stiffness and plastic strength of the nanocomposite. But current processing techniques often lead to an agglomerated state for the CNTs, and the pristine CNT surface may not be able to fully transfer the load at the interface. These two conditions could have a significant impact on its strengthening capability. In this article we develop a two-scale micromechanical model to analyze the effect of CNT agglomeration and interface condition on the plastic strength of CNT/metal composites. The large scale involves the CNT-free matrix and the clustered CNT/matrix inclusions, and the small scale addresses the property of these clustered inclusions, each containing the randomly oriented, transversely isotropic CNTs and the matrix. In this development the concept of secant moduli and a field fluctuation technique have been adopted. The outcome is an explicit set of formulae that allows one to calculate the overall stress-strain relations of the CNT nanocomposite. It is shown that CNTs are indeed a very effective strengthening agent, but CNT agglomeration and imperfect interface condition can seriously reduce the effective stiffness and elastoplastic strength. The developed theory has also been applied to examine the size (diameter) effect of CNTs on the elastic and elastoplastic response of the composites, and it was found that, with a perfect interface contact, decreasing the CNT radius would enhance the overall stiffness and plastic strength, but with an imperfect interface the size effect is reversed. A comparison of the theory with some experiments on the CNT/Cu nanocomposite serves to verify the applicability of the theory, and it also points to the urgent need of eliminating all CNT agglomeration and improving the interface condition if the full potential of CNT reinforcement is to be realized.     

Buckling analysis of plain knitted fabric sheets under simple shear in an arbitrary direction

Knitting structures make plain knitted fabric different from woven fabric. With the aid of a micro-constitutive model the buckling of a knitted fabric sheet subjected to simple shear in an arbitrary direction is investigated. The large deformation of the fabric sheet in its critical configuration is considered. The theory of stability for finite deformations is applied to the analysis. All the stress boundary conditions of the knitted fabric sheet are satisfied. An equation for determining the buckling direction angle is derived. It is shown that there are two possible buckling modes: a flexural mode and a barreling mode. The buckling conditions for the two modes are also obtained, respectively. A numerical calculation reveals that only the flexural mode can occur, which agrees with experimental observations.     

Non-local effects on the non-linear modes of vibration of carbon nanotubes under electrostatic actuation

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) based NEMS with electrostatic sensing/actuation may be employed as sensors, in situations where it is fundamental to understand their dynamic behaviour. Due to displacements that are large in comparison with the thickness and to the non-linearity of the electrostatic force, these CNT based NEMS operate in the non-linear regime. The knowledge of the modes of vibration of a CNT provides a picture of what one may expect from its dynamic behaviour not only in free, but also in forced vibrations. In this paper, the non-linear modes of vibration of CNTs actuated by electrostatic forces are investigated. For that purpose, a p-version finite element type formulation is implemented, leading to ordinary differential equations of motion in the time domain. The formulation takes into account non-local effects, which influence the inertia and the stiffness of CNTs, as well as the electrostatic actuation. The ordinary differential equations of motion are transformed into algebraic equations of motion via the harmonic balance method (HBM) and then solved by an arc-length continuation method. Several harmonics are considered in the HBM. The importance of non-local effects, combined with the geometrical non-linearity and with the action of the electrostatic force, is analysed. It is found that different combinations of these effects can result in alterations of the natural frequencies, variations in the degrees of softening or hardening, changes in the frequency content of the free vibrations, and alterations in the mode shapes of vibration. It is furthermore found that the small scale, here represented by the non-local theory, has an effect on interactions between the first and higher order modes which are induced by the geometrical and material non-linearities of the system.     

The Three-Dimensional Theory of Stability of Fibrous and Laminated Materials

An analysis is made of the results of investigations into the internal and surface instability of fibrous and laminated composites within the framework of the piecewise-homogeneous model and the equations of the three-dimensional linearized theory of stability. The possible buckling modes of the reinforcing elements in composites with either an elastic (polymeric) or elastoplastic (metallic) matrix are studied. The reliability domains of applied approximate design models are determined and some applications of results on fracture (due to structural instability) of unidirectional composites are presented     

Developing a Compressive Failure Theory for Nanocomposites

The paper addresses a compressive-failure theory for polymer-matrix nanocomposites in the case where failure onset is due to microbuckling. Two approaches based on the three-dimensional linearized theory of stability of deformable bodies are applied to laminated and fibrous nanocomposites. According to the first approach (continuum compressive-failure theory), nanocomposites are modeled by a homogeneous anisotropic medium with effective constants, including microstructural parameters. The second approach uses the piecewise-homogeneous model, three-dimensional relations for fibers (CNT) and matrix, and continuity conditions at the fiber-matrix interface. The compressive-failure theory is used to solve specific problems for laminated and fibrous nanocomposites. Some approximate failure theories based on the one- and two-dimensional applied theories of stability of rods, plates, and shells are analyzed__________Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 3–37, March 2005.     

A micro-mechanical model of knitted fabric and its application to the analysis of buckling under tension in wale direction： buckling analysis

With the aid of the micro-mechanical model of knitted fabric proposed in Part 1 we analyze the buckling of a knitted fabric sheet when it is subjected to a tension along the wale direction. The large deformation of the fabric sheet in the critical configuration is considered and, to avoid possible deviation due to the approximation of the theory of thin plate, the three-dimensional theory of instability is used. The fabric sheet is considered as a three-dimensional body and all boundary conditions are satisfied. It is shown that the buckling of the fabric sheet is possible, two buckling modes and the corresponding buckling conditions are obtained, but only the flexural mode is physically possible as observed in experiments.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10272079)