Project Abstract:

Since their first discovery and the establishment of new effective methods for production, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have drawn a great deal of attention. As most potential applications of CNTs are heavily based on a thorough understanding of their mechanical behavior, the study of mechanical behavior of CNTs has been one topic of major concern. Besides the great deal of experimental works on CNTs, investigation of mechanical response of CNTs by theoretical modeling has been pursued. As experiments at the nanoscale are extremely difficult and atomistic modeling remains prohibitively expensive for large-sized atomic system, it is desirable to develop continuum theories that may overcome the limitations of atomistic simulations concerning both time and length scales. Thus, continuum mechanics models will continue to play an important role in the study of CNTs. In this project, some new continuum mechanics models will be developed to predict the mechanical properties of CNTs.