Carbon nanocones under compression: Buckling and post-buckling behaviors

The mechanical behavior of single- walled carbon nanocones (SWCNCs) with 19.2 apex angles under compression was investigated in the study reported herein. The analysis was performed using molecular dynamics simulation. Two different loading directions, i.e., axial compression and in- plane compression, were applied to study their influence on the strain energy of CNCs. We derived empirical formulas for calculating the critical strains of CNCs with various top radii that were subjected to both axial and in- plane compression. The results of the simulation reveal that cones under in- plane compression show a higher energy level than those under axial compression. In the buckling and post- buckling stage, each shape change, accompanied by an abrupt release of energy in the energy- strain curve, was analyzed. The possible reasons for early plastic failure were examined, with the buckling behavior of CNCs with geometrical parameters (top radius, bottom radius, and height) involved. Our computed results show that for the fixed ratio of height/ bottom radius, CNCs with smaller top radii tend to be stiffer.