Postbuckling of pressure-loaded nanotube-reinforced composite doubly curved panels resting on elastic foundations in thermal environments

•The initial deflection caused by lateral pressure is taken into account.•The initial deflection caused by thermal bending stresses is taken into account.•Temperature-dependent material properties are taken into account.•Nonlinear prebuckling deformations of the panel are taken into account.•The initial geometric imperfections of the panel are taken into account.

This paper presents an investigation on the postbuckling behavior of doubly curved nanocomposite panels reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) subjected to lateral pressure. The functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composites (FG-CNTRCs) are assumed to have CNTs linearly graded in the thickness direction. The overall mechanical properties of the FG-CNTRCs, which include the thermal effect of CNTs and the matrix, are estimated through a micromechanical model. The panels may rest on elastic foundations. The governing differential equations for the doubly curved panels are based on a higher order shear deformation shell theory with von Kármán strain–displacement relationships and the panel–foundation interaction. The initial deflections caused by lateral pressure and thermal bending stresses are both taken into account. The governing equations are further deduced to a boundary layer type problem that includes nonlinear prebuckling deformations and initial geometric imperfections of the panels which are subsequently solved using a two-step perturbation approach. The influences of CNT volume fraction, temperature variation, panel geometric parameters, as well as foundation stiffness on the postbuckling behavior of FG-CNTRC doubly curved panels are investigated.