Stability analysis of carbon nanotubes via continuum models

Abstract

This paper presents the research on the stability analysis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) viaelastic continuum beam and shell models. The estimation of the flexural stiffness of asingle-walled nanotube (SWNT) via the elastic beam model is proposed based on thepostulate analyzed and provided in the paper. The validation of the stiffness is conductedwith the ab initio calculations of the vibration of a SWNT. Based on the stiffnessproposed, the stability analysis of CNTs is further conducted and validated withthe well-cited research results by Yakobson and his collaborators. In addition,more predictions of various buckling phenomena of carbon nanotubes by beamand shell models are provided and studied. Finally, the kink phenomenon in aSWNT under pure bending is discussed via the continuum model. It is hoped thatthis paper will pave the way toward a better understanding of the application ofcontinuum models in the stability and dynamics analysis of carbon nanotubes.