Effect of the Chirality on Critical Buckling Temperature of Zigzag Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes Using the Nonlocal Continuum Theory

Abstract

In this article, the thermal buckling properties of a zigzag single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with both chirality and small scale effects are studied. Based on the nonlocal continuum theory and the Timoshenko beam model, the governing equations are derived and the critical buckling temperatures are obtained. The equivalent Young's modulus and shear modulus for zigzag SWCNT are derived using an energy-equivalent model. The results show that the critical buckling temperature can be overestimated by the local beam model if the small-scale effect is overlooked for long nanotubes. In addition, significant dependence of the critical buckling temperatures on the chirality of zigzag carbon nanotube is confirmed. These findings are important in mechanical design considerations of devices that use carbon nanotubes.