Molecular simulations on the chirality preference of single-walled carbon nanotubes upon ductile behavior under tensile stress at high temperature

► We simulate superplastic elongation of single-walled carbon nanotubes using molecular dynamics method. ► We examine chirality changes for armchair nanotubes and found a systematic sequence of the chirality history different from a proposed model. ► We find that this difference is due to the torsional stress brought through the propagation of dislocation. ► We underpinned the fact through energy analysis.