Nanomechanics of a multiwalled carbon nanotube via Flugge’s theory of a composite cylindrical lattice shell

Abstract

The van der Waals forces between two neighboring layers of a multiwalled carbon nanotube is computed from the algorithms of Hodak and Girifalco [see M. Hodak and L. A. Girifalco, Chem. Phys. Lett. 350, 405 (2001)]. Based on Flugge’s theory of elastic stability of composite cylindrical thin-walled lattice shells, the infinitesimal buckling of multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded within an elastic matrix characterized by the Winkler-type model under axial compression and external hydrostatic pressure is investigated numerically. The linearized calculations predict that the van der Waals interactions do not affect significantly the natural frequencies and the critical axial compression stresses and critical hydrostatic pressure of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the considered cases.