Nonlocal elasticity effect on column buckling of multiwalled carbon nanotubes under temperature field

Based on nonlocal theory of thermal elasticity mechanics, an elastic multiple column model is developed for column buckling of MWNTs with large aspect ratios under axial compression coupling with temperature change. The present model treats each of the nested tubes as an individual column interacting with adjacent nanotubes through the intertube van der Waals forces. The thermal effect is incorporated in the formulation. 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 thermo-mechanical behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and cannot be ignored.