Axial Buckling of Single-walled Nanotubes Simulated by an Atomistic Finite Element Model under Different Temperatures and Boundary Conditions

Abstract

The buckling behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes is explored in this research, regardless of the significance of carbon nanotubes in industries, the novelty of the topic, and the ability of the finite element model approach to analyze their ways numerically. This work's primary goal is to examine how single-walled carbon nanotubes' aspect ratio affects compressive buckling force at various boundary conditions. In this regard, two forms of chiralities, such as armchair and zigzag, are taken into consideration while developing an atomic finite element model using Abaqus. The numerical results demonstrate that the critical buckling force will vary depending on the boundary conditions that are applied to the nanotube end and also increasing temperature lead to reduce the buckling load and vice versa. Additionally, the buckling stress of nanotubes increases dramatically in low aspect ratios and only minimally in higher of that by increasing the aspect ratio, or length-to-diameter ratio, of the nanotubes. Additionally, it is shown that by raising the aspect ratio, the zigzag and armchair results overlap each other more at the specified radius.