Bending wave propagation of carbon nanotubes in a bi-parameter elastic matrix

This article studies transverse waves propagating in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in a surrounding medium. The CNTs are modeled as a nonlocal elastic beam, whereas the surrounding medium is modeled as a bi-parameter elastic medium. When taking into account the effect of rotary inertia of cross-section, a governing equation is acquired. A comparison of wave speeds using the Rayleigh and Euler-Bernoulli theories of beams with the results of molecular dynamics simulation indicates that the nonlocal Rayleigh beam model is more adequate to describe flexural waves in CNTs than the nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli model. The influences of the surrounding medium and rotary inertia on the phase speed for single-walled and double-walled CNTs are analyzed. Obtained results turn out that the surrounding medium plays a dominant role for lower wave numbers, while rotary inertia strongly affects the phase speed for higher wave numbers.