Torsional Buckling Behavior of SWCNTs Using a Molecular Structural Mechanics Approach Considering Vacancy Defects

Abstract

In this paper, the influence of various vacancy defects on the critical buckling torques and twist angles in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) under torsional load is investigated using a new structural model built using the ABAQUS software. This model is a combination of other structural models and is designed to eliminate the deficiencies inherent in each of the individual approaches. For the first time, the effect of different types of vacancy defects on critical buckling torque and twist angle is studied for zigzag and armchair nanotubes of various lengths. The results show that vacancy defects have a considerable impact on the critical buckling torque. Moreover, zigzag nanotubes are found to be more sensitive to these defects than armchair nanotubes. The results obtained here are compared with those obtained using the continuum model, and reasonable agreement is observed.