Column buckling of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using nonlocal continuum mechanics

A model, based on the theory of nonlocal continuum mechanics, on the column buckling of multiwalled carbon nanotubes is presented. The present analysis considers that each of the nested concentric tubes is an individual column and that the deflection of all the columns is coupled together through the van der Waals interactions between adjacent tubes. Based on this description, a condition is derived in terms of the parameters that describe the van der Waals forces and the small internal length scale effects. In particular, an explicit expression is derived for the critical axial strain of a double walled carbon nanotube which clearly demonstrates that small scale effects contribute significantly to the mechanical behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and cannot be ignored. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.