Study of the large bending behavior of CNTs using LDTM and nonlocal elasticity theory

Abstract

The general expressions for vertical deflection, horizontal displacement, and strain energy in a bent cantilevered carbon nanotube (CNT) are derived herein under a uniformly distributed load. This derivation employs nonlocal elasticity theory, crucial for understanding nanoscale mechanics due to size effects, and accounts for the nonlinear relationship between bending curvature and deflection under large bending conditions, a novel contribution. In the limiting cases, our expressions for large bending give the corresponding expressions reported in the literature for small bending. Additionally, we introduce the Laplace-Differential Transformation Method (LDTM) for the first time, providing efficient solutions to explore the influence of parameters like aspect ratio and small-scale factors on CNT bending behavior. Comparison with the analytical method validates the accuracy and efficacy of LDTM, offering a rapid solution for nonlinear equations. Our findings reveal that strain energy deviates more prominently from quadratic behavior in CNTs with high aspect ratios, while small-scale parameters have a pronounced effect on CNTs with smaller aspect ratios. These results will be relevant to designing and applying the nanoscale-sized cantilevered CNTs used in MEMs/NEMs.