Transport of liquid mercury under pressure in double-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, transport of liquid mercury under pressure through double-walled carbon nanotubes is studied using classical molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with a pressure control model. The results indicate that wetting of double-walled carbon nanotubes by mercury occurs above a threshold pressure of liquid mercury. Liquid mercury can be transported through the inner tube of double-walled carbon nanotubes with the continuous increase of its pressure. The threshold pressure of liquid mercury decreases and the transport efficiency increases greatly with enlarging the inner tube size. The space between the two walls of double-walled carbon nanotubes can also transport the liquid mercury while the distance between the two walls is much larger than the radius of the inner tube. Transport efficiency of double-walled carbon nanotubes is a little lower than that of single-walled carbon nanotubes while double-walled carbon nanotubes transport liquid more steadily than single-walled carbon nanotubes.