The axial buckling of carbon nanotubes

A good understanding of the mechanical properties carbon nanotubes is essential to their applications. In this paper finite element analysis is carried out to simulate the axial buckling of single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs), double-walled nanotubes (DWNTs) and triple-walled nanotubes (TWNTs). A commercial finite element (FE) software - ABAQUS is employed in the simulation and a buckling analysis is conducted to determine the eigenvalue of the first buckling mode for each nanotube subjected to axial loading. The effect of van de Waals force on the critical axial strain and the first bucklling mode of both the DWNTs and the TWNTs is discussed. The buckling modes of DWNTs and TWNTs are different from that of the SWNTs due to the van de Waals force involved. Inserting inner tubes does not lower the dritical axial strain of a SWNT. The post buckling behaviour of a SWNT and DWNT is also discussed