Thermal postbuckling behavior of CNT-reinforced composite sandwich plate models resting on elastic foundations with tangentially restrained edges and temperature-dependent properties

Abstract

Buckling and postbuckling behaviors of sandwich plates reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT), rested on elastic foundations and subjected to uniform temperature rise, are investigated in this article. CNT is embedded into matrix phase through uniform or functionally graded distributions. The properties of constituent materials are assumed to be temperature-dependent, and effective properties of nanocomposite are determined by extended rule of mixture. Two models of sandwich plates with face sheets and core layer reinforced by CNTs are presented. Formulations are based on the first-order shear deformation theory taking geometrical nonlinearity, initial geometrical imperfection, plate-foundation interaction, and elasticity of tangential edge constraints into consideration. Analytical solutions of deflection and stress function are assumed, and Galerkin method is applied to derive nonlinear temperature–deflection relation from which buckling temperatures and thermal postbuckling paths are obtained through an iteration algorithm. Numerical examples show the effects of CNT volume fraction, distribution patterns, in-plane edge constraint, elastic foundations, geometrical ratios, initial imperfection, and temperature dependence of properties on thermal postbuckling behavior of nanocomposite sandwich plates. The most important finding is that sandwich plate constructed from CNT-poor nanocomposite core layer and thin homogeneous face sheets with partially movable edges bring the best capacities of thermal buckling resistance and postbuckling load carrying.