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Buckling characteristics of embedded multi-walled

carbon nanotubes
K.M Liew, X.Q He and S Kitipornchai
Proc. R. Soc. A 2005 461, 3785-3805
doi: 10.1098/rspa.2005.1526

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Proc. R. Soc. A (2005) 461, 3785–3805

doi:10.1098/rspa.2005.1526
Published online 23 September 2005

Buckling characteristics of embedded

multi-walled carbon nanotubes
B Y K. M. L IEW , X. Q. H E AND S. K ITIPORNCHAI
Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong Kong,
Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
(bcxqhe@cityu.edu.hk)

An analytical algorithm is proposed to describe the buckling behaviour of multi-walled

carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that are embedded in a matrix with consideration of the van
der Waals (vdW) interaction. The individual tube is treated as a cylindrical shell, but
the tube deflections are coupled with each other due to the vdW interaction. The
interaction between the matrix and the outermost tube is modelled as a Pasternak
foundation. Based on the proposed model, an accurate expression and a simple
approximate expression are derived for the buckling load of double-walled CNTs that are
embedded in a matrix. The approximate expression clearly indicates that the vdW force
is coupled with the matrix parameters. A numerical simulation is carried out, and the
results reveal that the increase in the number of layers leads to a decrease in the critical
buckling load for multi-walled CNTs with a fixed innermost radius. In contrast, when the
outermost radius is fixed, the critical buckling load increases with the increase in the
number of layers for multi-walled CNTs without a matrix. However, for multi-walled
CNTs that are embedded in a matrix, the critical buckling load decreases first and then
increases with the increase in the number of layers. This implies that there is a given
number of layers for a multi-walled CNT at which the critical buckling load is the lowest,
and that this number depends on the matrix parameters.
Keywords: van der Waals interaction; multi-walled carbon nanotube;
critical buckling load; cylindrical shell model; Pasternak foundation

1. Introduction

There has been much research activity on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) since their
discovery in 1991 by Iijima of the NEC Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan (Iijima
1991). In such research, atomistic-based methods (Yakobson et al. 1996;
Hernandez et al. 1998; Sanchez-Portal et al. 1999) and continuum mechanics
(Govindjee & Sackman 1999; Harik 2002; Lau et al. 2004) are the two main
theoretical methods that are used to study the mechanical behaviour of CNTs.
However, the atomistic-based methods are currently limited by computing
capability. For example, in our molecular dynamics (MD) simulation (Liew et al.
2004a) of buckling behaviour, the calculation for a single-walled (10,10) CNT
with 2000 atoms required 36 h on a single CPU SGI origin 2000 system. The
computational time increases sharply with the increasing number of atoms, and

Received 21 July 2004

Accepted 9 June 2005 3785 q 2005 The Royal Society
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3786 K. M. Liew and others

thus explodes exponentially with multi-walled CNTs. For example, a four-walled

(5,5), (10,10), (15,15) and (20,20) CNT with a length-to-diameter ratio L/DZ9.1
contains 15 097 atoms, and the calculation of its elasto-plastic deformation up to
failure takes over two months (Liew et al. 2004b).
Several continuum models (such as elastic beam, truss, and shell) have been
proposed for the analysis of CNTs. Harik (2002) studied the validity of the
continuum-beam models to analyse the constitutive behaviour of CNTs, and
gave the applicability criterions of the Euler beam model in the study of CNTs.
Li & Chou (2003a,b) developed a space truss/frame model to investigate the
mechanical properties of single-walled CNTs, and examined their Young’s
modulus and shear modulus. A truss model and an equivalent-plate model were
proposed by Odegard et al. (2002) by linking computational chemistry and solid
mechanics. By introducing additional rods, the energy that is associated with
bond-angle variation was found to be equal to the strain energy of the rods,
which allowed the authors to determine the Young’s modulus. Yakobson et al.
(1996) applied a traditional continuum shell model to predict the buckling of a
single-walled CNT and compared the model with an MD simulation. Their
results show that the continuum shell model can obtain the buckling pattern.
Based on the traditional shell model, Ru (2000, 2001a,b) proposed a continuum
shell model with consideration of the van der Waals (vdW) interaction to study
the buckling of double-walled CNTs. He proposed a linear proportional
relationship between the variation of the vdW force and the normal deflection
jump to model the vdW forces, but his model can only be applied to a double-
walled CNT. Wang et al. (2003) extended the shell model to the buckling
analysis of multi-walled CNTs, but Ru’s model is not suitable for multi-walled
CNTs as the effects of all of the other layers except for the adjacent layers on the
vdW interaction are neglected.
It is well known that CNTs have extremely good mechanical properties.
Hence, many researchers have explored the possibility of increasing the strength
of various composites by using CNTs as fibres (Jin et al. 1998; Schadler et al.
1998; Bower et al. 1999). Currently, most of the research on CNT-reinforced
composites is focused on the atomistic-based method (Frankland & Brenner
2000), and limited literature can be found on the experimental and continuum
theory for the analysis of CNT-reinforced composites. Lourie et al. (1998)
reported experimental observations on the buckling and collapse of CNTs that
are embedded in epoxy resin. Their experimental observations of the buckling of
CNTs are strikingly similar to the theoretical predictions of Yakobson et al.
(1996). In addition, Srivastava et al. (1999) studied the nanoplasticity of single-
walled CNTs under uniaxial compression by using tight-binding MD. Their
computed critical stress is also in good agreement with the experimentally
estimated range of values that was reported by Lourie et al. (1998).
To address the lack of a continuum theory for the analysis of CNT-reinforced
composites, a continuum model is proposed in this paper for the buckling
analysis of multi-walled CNTs that are embedded in a matrix with vdW
interaction taken into consideration. The interaction between the outermost tube
and the matrix is modelled as a Pasternak foundation. The validity of the
proposed model is demonstrated by comparing it to the existing MD simulation
results.

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Buckling characteristics 3787

Nx

Nx RI
RO
van der
Waals forces

Figure 1. A continuum cylindrical shell model of a multi-walled CNT embedded in an elastic

matrix under axial compression and van der Waals interaction.

2. Model development

Consider an axially compressed multi-walled CNT that is embedded in an elastic

matrix, as shown in figure 1, in which the individual tube is treated as a
cylindrical shell of radius Ri, thickness h, and Young’s modulus E. Each tube
refers to a coordinate system (x, q), where x is the axial coordinate and q the
circumferential angular coordinate. The multi-walled CNT is empty inside, and
the outermost tube is bonded to the matrix. The ends of all of the tubes are
assumed to be simply supported.

(a ) Matrix model
Previous studies by Wagner et al. (1998) on the stress transfer between a
CNT and a polymer matrix show that CNT–polymer adhesion is quite strong,
and that not only the normal stress but also the shear stress transfers from the
CNT to the polymer matrix. Thus, in the analysis of infinitesimal buckling, we
assume that the relation between the pressure and the deflection of the
outermost tube surface can be described by the Pasternak foundation model
(Pasternak 1954) i.e.
pN ðx; qÞ ZKKW wðx; qÞ C Gb V2 wðx; qÞ; ð2:1Þ
where the first parameter KW is the Winkler foundation modulus (Winkler
1867), the second parameter Gb is the stiffness of the shearing layer, N is the
number of layers of the outermost tube and V2 is the Laplace operator, which
is defined as
v2 1 v2
V2 Z C : ð2:2Þ
vx 2 RN vq2

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3788 K. M. Liew and others

This model assumes that the elastic foundation consists of a closed spaced and
independent springs, where the top ends of the springs are connected to an
incompressible layer that resists only transverse shear deformation. This model
can describe the interaction between the pressure and deflection of the
outermost tube and a shear interaction between the springs. When setting the
second parameter GbZ0, the Pasternak model is reduced to the Winkler
model, i.e.
pN ðx; qÞ ZKKW wðx; qÞ: ð2:3Þ

(b ) Basic formulas
Based on the classical thin shell theory (Timoshenko & Gere 1961), the basic
equations for the elastic buckling of a multi-walled CNT that is embedded in a
matrix can be derived as the N coupled equations, i.e.
9
L1 w1 Z V41 p1 ; >>
>
>
>
>
« >
>
=
4 ð2:4Þ
Li w i Z Vi p i ;
>
>
« >
>
>
>
>
>
4 ;
LN wN Z VN pN ;

where wi (iZ1, 2, ., N ) is the deflection of the i th tube, pi is the pressure that is

exerted on the tube i due to the vdW interaction between layers, and Li is the
differential operator that is given by

v2 4 Nq v2 4 Eh v4
Li Z Di V8i KNx Vi K 2 2 Vi C 2 ; ð2:5Þ
vx 2 Ri vq Ri vx 4
in which x is the axial and q the circumferential coordinate, NxZsx h and NqZsqh
are the uniform forces per unit length in the axial and circumferential directions
of the i th tube prior to buckling with sx being the axial and sq being the
circumferential stress, Di is the bending stiffness of the i th tube, and

v2 1 v2
V2i Z C : ð2:6Þ
vx 2 R2i vq2
Due to the infinitesimal deflection between any two layers, the pressure at any
point of the tubes can be expressed as
X
N
pi ðx; yÞ Z p ij ðx; qÞ C Dpi ðx; qÞ; ð2:7Þ
jZ1

where p ij ðx; qÞ is the initial vdW pressure contribution to the i th layer from the
j th layer prior to buckling, N is the total number of layers of the multi-walled
CNT, and Dpi(x, q) is the pressure increment (after buckling) that is due to the

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Buckling characteristics 3789

vdW interaction and the tube-matrix interaction, i.e. 9

XN
>
Dp1 Z Dp 1j ; >
>
>
>
>
>
jZ1 >
>
« >
>
>
>
>
>
X
N =
Dpi Z Dp ij ; ð2:8Þ
>
>
jZ1 >
>
« >
>
>
>
>
>
X
N >
>
>
DpN Z Dp Nj KKW wN C Gb V wN ; >
2
>
;
jZ1
where Dp ij ðx; qÞ is the pressure increment contribution to the pressure increment
Dpi that is exerted on the i th layer from the j th layer. As only the infinitesimal
buckling is considered, the pressure increment Dp ij ðx; qÞ that is due to the vdW
interaction is assumed to be linearly proportional to the buckling deflection
between two walls, i.e.
Dp ij Z cij ðwi Kwj Þ; ð2:9Þ
where cij is a coefficient and is determined by the derivation of the vdW forces in
the sequel. Finally, we obtain the following governing buckling equations of a
multi-walled CNT 9
XN X N
>
4
L1 w1 Z V1 w1 c1j K c1j V1 wj ; 4 >
>
>
>
>
>
jZ1 jZ1 >
>
>
>
« >
>
>
>
>
>
XN X N =
4 4
Li wi Z Vi wi cij K cij Vi wj ; ð2:10Þ
>
>
jZ1 jZ1 >
>
>
>
« >
>
>
>
>
>
XN XN >
>
>
LN wN Z VN wN 4
cNj K cNj VN wj KKW VN wN C Gb VN wN : >
4 4 6
>
;
jZ1 jZ1
It can be observed that the equations are coupled due to the vdW interaction.

(c ) vdW interaction
It can be observed from equation (2.10) that all of the governing equations are
coupled with each other due to the vdW interaction, which is characterized by
the initial pressure p ij (before buckling) and the coefficient cij (after buckling).
Thus, the key issue for the buckling analysis is to develop an efficient approach
for the description of the vdW interaction. In our previous work (He et al. 2005),
we derived explicit formulas to describe the vdW interaction between any two
tubes of a multi-walled CNT. The vdW interaction can be characterized by
" ! ! #
20483s12 X5
ðK1Þk 5 12 10243s6 X2
ðK1Þk 2
p ij Z Eij K Eij6 Rj ; ð2:11Þ
9a4 kZ0
2k C 1 k 9a 4
kZ0
2k C 1 k

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3790 K. M. Liew and others

and


1001p3s12 13 1120p3s6 7
cij ZK Eij K Eij Rj ; ð2:12Þ
9a 4 9a 4
where aZ1.42 Å is the C–C bond length, Rj is the radius of the j th layer, the
subscripts i and j denote the i th and j th layers, respectively, and Eij6 , Eij7 , Eij12 and
Eij13 are the elliptical integrals.

3. Solution to the buckling analysis

The boundary conditions for the simply supported tubes are as follows.
v2 wk
Z 0; at x Z 0 and x Z L:
wk Z ð3:1Þ
vx 2
The deflection function that satisfies the boundary conditions equation (3.1) can
be approximated by
mpx
wk Z Ak sin sin nq; ð3:2Þ
L
where Ak (kZ1, 2, ., N ) are N unknown coefficients, L is the length of the multi-
walled CNT, and m and n are the axial half wavenumber and circumferential
wavenumber, respectively.
The substitution of equation (3.2) into equation (2.10) gives us
8
>
<
 mp 2  n 2 2 X N  2  
ckj
mp p k Rk n 2
C K C Nx K
>
: L Rk jZ1
D L2 D Rk
2 32 9
>
= XN
Eh 6 1 7 ckj
C 4  2 5 A k C A Z 0 ðk Z 1; 2; . ; N K1Þ;
DR2k 1 C Ln >
; jZ1
D j ð3:3Þ
mpRk

and
8
>
<
 mp 2  2  2 X N   2 p R  n 2
n cNj
mp
C K CNx K k k
>
: L Rk jZ1
D L2 D RN
2 32 9

 2 >
=
Eh 6 1 7


KW Gb
 mp 2 n XN
cNj
2 4   5
C C 4C 2 C AN C A Z0;
DRN 1C Ln 2 L L L RN >
; jZ1
D j
mpRN

ð3:4Þ
where pkZKNq/Rk is the net pressure that is exerted on k th tube, which is
assumed to be inward, the dimensionless buckling load factor N *ZNxL2/D, the


dimensionless Winkler modulus factor KW ZKW L4 =D, and the shear modulus

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Buckling characteristics 3791

factor Gb
ZGb L2 =D. Equations (3.3) and (3.4) can be rewritten in matrix form as
2 c c c 3
b11 12 13 . 1n
6 D D D 7
2 38 9 6 6 c c c
78 9
7 A
1 0 0 . 0 > > A 1>> 6 21
b22 23
. 2n 7>> 1>>
6 >
7> >
> 6 D D D 7 >
> >
>
6 0 1 0 . 0 7> > A >
> 6 7 >
> A >
>
 mp 2 6 7>
< > 2 = 6 6 c c c
7>
7 < 2 >
=

6 7 6 31 32
b 3n
7
6 0 0 1 . 0 7 A3 Z 6 D D . A3 ;
33
D 7
KNx
L2 6 7>
> >
> 6 7 >
> >
>
6 « « « « « 7> > « >
> 6 7 >
> « >
>
4 >
5> > 6 « > « « « « 7 >
> >
>
>
: ; 6 > >
7: > ;
0 0 0 . 1 An 6 7 An
6c 7
4 n1 cn2 cn3 5
. bnn
D D D
ð3:5Þ
or equivalently
8 9
> A1 >
> >

 mp 2 >
>
<A >
>
=

2
KNx I N!N KC N!N Z 0; ð3:6Þ
L2 >
> « >
>
>
> >
>
: ;
AN
where
2 32

   2  2 XN  2
mp 2 n ckj pk Rk n Eh 6 1 7
bkk Z C K K C 4   5
L Rk D D Rk DRk 1 C Ln 2
2
jZ1
jsk
mpRk

ðk Z 1; 2; .; N K1Þ; ð3:7Þ
and
2 32

   2 2 X N  2
mp 2 n cNj pN RN n Eh 6 1 7
bNN Z C K K C 4   5
L RN D D RN DR2N 1 C Ln 2
jZ1
jsk
mpRN

  2 
K
G
mp 2 n
C W
4
C 2b C : ð3:8Þ
L L L RN

To determine the non-zero solutions for Ak, it is necessary to equate its

determinate to zero. Thus, we have the characteristic equation of [C ]:
  2 

mp
det K½CKNx ½I  Z 0: ð3:9Þ
L
The solution of equation (3.9) yields the buckling load of the multi-walled CNT
relative to the wavenumbers m and n.

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3792 K. M. Liew and others

4. An explicit solution to the buckling of double-walled CNTs

embedded in a matrix

We consider the buckling analysis of a double-walled CNT that is embedded in a

matrix, which is a particular case of the multi-walled CNT that is embedded in a
matrix that is detailed in the previous section. The inner radius is RI and the
outer radius is RO. We can directly obtain the characteristic equations for the
buckling
8 load of a double-walled CNT from equations (3.3) and (3.4)
>
<
 mp 2  n 2 2 c  2
12
mp
C K CNx
>
: L RI D L2
2 32 9
 2 >
=
p 1 RI n Eh 6 1 7 c12
K C 4   5 A1 C A2 Z0; ð4:1Þ
D RI DR2I 1C Ln 2 > ; D
mpRI
and 8
>
<
 mp 2  n 2 2 c   2 p R  n 2
c21 21
mp
A1 C C K CNx K 2 O
D >
: L RO D L 2 D RO
2 32 9


  2  >
=
Eh 6 1 7


KW G mp 2 n
C 4   5 C C 2b C A2 Z0:
DR2O 1C Ln 2 L4 L L RO >
;
mpRO

ð4:2Þ
The condition for the non-zero solution of A1 and A2 leads to a relation for the
buckling load of the double-walled CNT

 2  2
 2 

mp
mp c c
Nx 2
CðB1 CB2 Þ Nx 2
CB1 B2 K 12 221 Z0; ð4:3Þ
L L D
where
2  mp 2 32

   2  2  2
mp 2 n c pR n Eh 6 L 7
B1 Z C K 12 K 1 I C 2 4    2 5 ; ð4:4Þ
L RI D D RI DRI mp 2 C n
L RI
and
2  mp 2 32

     
mp 2 2 2 2
n c pR n Eh 6 L 7
B2 Z K 21 K 2 O 4   5
DR2O  mp 2 C n 2
C C
L RO D D RO
L RO

 2 


KW Gb
 mp 2 n
C 4C 2 C : ð4:5Þ
L L L RO
Note that we assume the inward pressure to be positive, and that any increase
(wiKwjO0, i, jZ1, 2) or decrease (wiKwj!0) in the space between the inner
and outer tubes would cause an attractive or repulsive vdW force, respectively.

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Buckling characteristics 3793

Thus, from equation (2.9) we have c12!0 and c21!0, and therefore
 c c  c c
ðB1 CB2 Þ2 K4 B1 B2 K 12 221 ZðB1 KB2 Þ2 C4 12 221 O0: ð4:6Þ
D D
Thus, the solution to equation (4.3) is given by
 2 1  rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi

mp c c
KNx 2
Z B1 CB2 H ðB1 KB2 Þ2 C4 12 221 : ð4:7Þ
L 2 D

(a ) Without vdW interaction

When the vdW interaction is ignored, we have c12Zc21Zp1Zp2Z0. As the


difference between the radii of the two tubes is usually very small and KW O0


and Gb O 0, the comparison of equations (4.4) and (4.5) gives us B2OB1. To
obtain the solution for the lowest buckling load, we take the negative sign before
the square root to allow equation (4.7) to reduce to the classical equation for the
buckling load of cylindrical shells (Timoshenko & Gere 1961):
2  mp 2 32
 2 2
   2 2  2 2
L mp 2 n Eh L 6 L 7
KNx
Z C C 2 4   2 5 : ð4:8Þ
mp L RI DRI mp mp 2
C RnI
L

It can be seen that the axial buckling load factor that is determined by equation
(4.8) occurs on the inner tube, which is modelled as an individual cylindrical
shell. However, for a double-walled CNT with a small radius, such as (5,5) or
(10,10) nanotubes, the difference between radii is not small and the effect of
ROORI cannot be ignored. In this case, we have B1OB2, and the buckling load
factor is determined by
8 2  mp 2 32
 2 2 >

<  mp 2    2
L n 2 Eh 6 L 7
KNx
Z C C 4   2 5
mp : > L RO 2
DRO mp C n 2
L RO
9 ð4:9Þ



   2 > =
K G mp 2 n
C W C 2b C :
L4 L L RO >
;

The buckling load factor that is determined by equation (4.9) will occur on the
outer tube of the double-walled CNT.

(b ) With vdW interaction

We now consider a double-walled CNT that is embedded in a matrix taking
into consideration the vdW interaction. Because the vdW forces between the two
tubes are equal and opposite, as shown in figure 1, the pressures that are exerted
on the two tubes should satisfy the equilibrium condition p1RIZKp2RO. Because
c12!0 and c21!0, we always have B1CB2O0. Note that the equilibrium
distance between a carbon atom and a flat monolayer is around 0.34 nm
(Girifalco & Lad 1956), and thus the initial pressures p1 and p2 are very small

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3794 K. M. Liew and others

when the interlayer separation is taken as 0.34 nm. Hence, we have B1B2O
c12c21/D2 and can easily arrive at
rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
c c
B1 C B2 O ðB1 KB2 Þ2 C 4 12 221 : ð4:10Þ
D
To ensure that the right-hand side of equation (4.7) is positive and lower, we take
the negative sign before the square root in equation (4.7) to obtain the solution to
the axial load that is given by
 2 1  rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi

mp c c
KNx 2
Z B1 C B2 K ðB1 KB2 Þ2 C 4 12 221 : ð4:11Þ
L 2 D
Normally, the ratio (ROKRI)/RI is very small and the terms that are related to
the ratio can be neglected. Thus, we have the relationships

  2 2
  2  2   2
mp 2 n mp 2 n n RO C R I RO KRI
C Z C C
L RI L RO RO RI RI

   
mp 2
2
n 2
z C ; ð4:12Þ
L RO
and  
n n RO n n RO KRI n
Z Z C z : ð4:13Þ
RI RO R I RO RO RI RO
The substitution of equations (4.12) and (4.13) into equation (4.11) gives us an
approximate formula for the buckling load factor of a double-walled CNT that is
embedded in a8matrix
2  mp 2 32
 2 2 < >
   2 2
L mp 2 n Eh 6 L 7
KN
Z C C 2 4   2 5
mp > : L R O DR O mp 2
C RnO
L

 2 
KW

Gb
 mp 2 n c Cc21
C 4C 2 C K 12
2L 2L L RO 2D

2


  2   
c12 Cc21 c Kc21 KW Gb mp 2 n p 2 RO n 2
K C 12 C C K
2D D 2L4 2L2 L RO D RO
9


  2    2 ! 12 > =
KW Gb
 mp 2 n p2 RO n 2
C C C K :
2L4 2L2 L RO D RO >
;

ð4:14Þ
Hence, the critical buckling load factor for a double-walled CNT with a matrix
that is modelled as a Pasternak foundation can be determined by minimizing the
buckling loads that are obtained from equation (4.14). It can be observed from
equation (4.14) that the vdW force and the foundation are coupled with each
other. We now discuss the effect of the vdW interaction and the effect of both the
vdW interaction and the matrix on the buckling load factor of a double-walled
CNT that is embedded in a matrix.

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Buckling characteristics 3795

(i) Effect of the vdW interaction

Note that again we have p2O0, c12!0, c21!0 and jc12jOjc21j. It can be seen
that the second term in the square root of equation (4.14) is positive when the
condition

 2   
KW

Gb
 mp 2 n p 2 RO n 2
C C % ; ð4:15Þ
2L4 2L2 L RO D RO
is satisfied.
Thus, we have



  2 
c12 Cc21 c12 Cc21 2 c12 Kc21 KW Gb
 mp 2 n
K ! C 4
C 2 C
2D 2D D 2L 2L L RO
 

  2    2 ! 12
p2 RO n 2 KW Gb
 mp 2 n p2 RO n 2
K C C C K ;
D RO 2L4 2L2 L RO D RO
ð4:16Þ
and the results from equation (4.14) show that the presence of the vdW
interaction lowers the critical buckling load factor. Again, if we have

 2   
KW

Gb
 mp 2 n p 2 RO n 2
C C O ; ð4:17Þ
2L4 2L2 L RO D RO
then the condition that is needed for equation (4.16) to hold is
  2   
KW

Gb
 mp 2 n p2 RO n 2 c Kc21
4
C 2 C K OK 12 : ð4:18Þ
2L 2L L R O D R O D
In this case, equation (4.14) also results in lower critical buckling load factors due
to the presence of the vdW interaction. In contrast, if equation (4.17) holds and
  2   
KW

Gb
 mp 2 n p2 RO n 2 c Kc21
4
C 2 C K %K 12 ; ð4:19Þ
2L 2L L RO D RO D
then we have

2
  2    2
c C c21 c12 C c21 KW

Gb
 mp 2 n p 2 RO n 2
K 12 R C C C K
2D 2D 2L4 2L2 L RO D RO
2  ! 2
1

  2  
c12 Kc21 KW

Gb
mp 2 n p2 RO n
C C 2
C K :
D 2L4 2L L RO D RO
ð4:20Þ
Hence, under the conditions of equations (4.17) and (4.19), equation (4.14)
results in a higher critical buckling load factor than is achieved when the vdW
interaction is not considered.

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3796 K. M. Liew and others

(ii) Effect of both the matrix and the vdW interaction

To examine the influence of both the matrix and the vdW interaction on the
buckling load, we rewrite equation (4.14) as
8 2 32
 2 2 >
  2 2  mp 2
L < 
mp 2 n Eh 6 L 7
KN
Z C C 2 4    2 5
mp > : L R O DR mp 2
O C n L RO

 2 
KW

Gb
 mp 2 n c12 Cc21
C 4C 2 C K
2L 2L L RO 2D




   2   2
KW Gb mp 2 n c12 Cc21
K C C K
2L4 2L2 L RO 2D



 2  
  2
KW Gb
 mp 2 n c12 p 2 RO n 2
C2 C C C
2L4 2L2 L RO D D RO
9



  2    2 ! 12 >
=
KW

G mp 2 n c12 Kc21 p2 RO n
K2 C b2 C C :
2L 4 2L L RO 2D D RO >
;

ð4:21Þ

As the radius of multi-walled CNTs increases, the vdW coefficients cij and cji
approach the same constant (He et al. 2005), and thus the difference between c12
and c21 is very small compared to c12. Note that c12!0 and jc12j[jp2j (jc12j is
around 12 orders of magnitude higher than jp2j; He et al. 2005), it is easy to see
that if and only if

 2 2  
p2 RO n c12 Kc21 p2 RO n 2

 2  K
Gb
 mp 2

D RO D D RO
KW n
C 2 C O
; ð4:22Þ
L 4 L L RO  2 c 
p2 RO
D
n
RO K 12
D

then the presence of both the elastic matrix and the vdW interaction will raise
the buckling load that is determined by equation (4.21) or equation (4.14).
However, if we take GbZ0 and c12Zc21, then equation (4.14) reduces to the
result that Ru (2001b) obtained. In addition, when the vdW force is neglected, it
can be seen that equation (4.14) reduces to the classical equation for the buckling
load of the outer tube without a matrix
8 2 32 9
 2 2 >
     mp 2 >
L < mp 2 n 2
2
Eh 6 =

L 7
KN Z C C 4   2 5 >: ð4:23Þ
mp > : L RO DR2O  mp 2 n ;
L C RO

In this case, no influence on the buckling load comes from the matrix.

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Buckling characteristics 3797

5. Results and discussion

We now consider a multi-walled CNT that is embedded in an elastic matrix, as

shown in figure 1. The innermost radius is RI and the outermost radius is RO.
Suppose that each tube has the same length L and thickness h, and is modelled as
an individual cylindrical shell. The multi-walled CNT is subjected to the
combined action of axial compression and vdW interaction. The initial interlayer
separation between the two adjacent layers is assumed to be 0.34 nm, as this is
the value that is adopted by most published papers on the subject. For all of the
numerical examples, the bending stiffness DZ0.85 eV, EtZ360 J m K2
(Yakobson et al. 1996) and the length to the outermost radius ratio L/ROZ10.
A comparison is made between the proposed continuum model and the
existing MD simulations. Considering a multi-walled CNT with an innermost
radius RIZ0.34 nm without a surrounding matrix, the critical axial strains of
multi-walled CNTs with numbers of layers that vary between two to ten are
calculated and shown in figure 2. For the double-, triple- and four-walled CNTs,
the critical axial strains that are obtained with the present model are compared
with the results that were obtained from the MD simulation by Liew et al.
(2004a). It can be observed from figure 2 that the results that are obtained by the
present model are in good agreement with those of Liew et al. (2004a), and that
the relative errors for the critical axial strain of double-, triple- and four-walled
CNTs are 0.16, 13.4 and 15%, respectively. It is worth mentioning that Yakobson
et al. (1996) obtained a critical axial strain of 31Z0.05 for a single-walled CNT of
radius RZ0.477 nm by using the MD simulation, a value that is close to our
calculated critical strain 3cZ0.0599 for a double-walled CNT with an outermost
radius of ROZ0.68 nm, as shown in figure 2.

(a ) Buckling of double-walled CNTs embedded in an elastic matrix

Having validated the present buckling model, we examine the buckling loads
of a double-walled CNT with an elastic matrix that is modelled as a Winkler
foundation. For all of the numerical examples in this section, the innermost
radius is RIZ8.5 nm. The calculated results that are obtained by using the exact
equation (4.11) and the approximate equation (4.14) are presented in figure 3
for the circumferential wavenumber nZ8, and then compared with the results of
the classical shell model equation (4.9) and Ru’s model (2000). As can be seen,
the various sets of results are in good agreement with each other. However, the
buckling loads that are obtained from the exact equation (4.11) (with vdW
interaction) are not much larger than those that are obtained from equation (4.9)
(without vdW interaction). It should be noted from equation (2.9) that when the
outer (inner) tube deflects outward (inward), the vdW force that is caused is
attractive, whereas when the outer (inner) tube deflects inward (outward), the
vdW force is repulsive, and thus the vdW interaction always has an effect against
buckling. This verifies that the vdW interaction increases the critical buckling
load. In contrast, the buckling loads from the approximate equation (4.14) and
Ru’s model are smaller than those that are derived from equation (4.9). This is
because ignoring the terms that are related to the ratio of (ROKRI)/RI in
equation (4.14) and Ru’s model leads to smaller results than those that are
obtained from equation (4.9). The conclusion in Ru’s paper (2001a) is that the

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3798 K. M. Liew and others

0.07
present model
0.06 Liew et al. (2004a)

critical axial strain

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
number of layers of the multi-walled CNT

Figure 2. Comparison of the critical axial strains obtained by the present model and the results of
the MD simulation by Liew et al. (2004a) for multi-walled CNTs with an innermost radius
RIZ0.34 nm.

1.96
equation (4.11)
1.92 equation (4.14)
equation (4.9)
buckling load, N * (×10 5)

Ru (2001a)
1.88

n=8
1.84

1.80

1.76

1.72
70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
axial half wavenumber, m

Figure 3. Comparison between the different solutions to the buckling loads of a double-walled CNT


with a Pasternak foundation (KW Z 1 !1010 and GbZ0).

vdW forces do not increase the critical axial strain for infinitesimal buckling of
double-walled CNTs, but it is obvious that he does not consider the effect of the
ignorance of the terms that are related to the ratio of (ROKRI)/RI on the
buckling load.
As the vdW force is coupled with the elastic foundation, we examine the effect
of both the vdW interaction and the elastic foundation by comparing equations
(4.11), (4.14) and (4.23). Figure 4 shows the buckling loads with respect to the

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Buckling characteristics 3799

11.0
equation (4.11)
10.8 equation (4.21)
10.6 equation (4.23)

buckling load, N * (×104)

10.4 n=8
10.2
10
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9.0
35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80
axial half wavenumber, m


Figure 4. Buckling loads of a double-walled CNT with a Pasternak foundation (KW Z 1 !103 and
4
GbZ1!10 ).

wavenumber nZ1 and various m for a double-walled CNT with a Pasternak

foundation (KW Z 1 !1010 and GbZ1!103). The buckling loads are obtained by
equations (4.11), (4.14) and (4.23), respectively, for comparison. It can be
observed that the coupled action of the vdW interaction and the elastic
foundation raises the buckling load of a double-walled CNT that is embedded in
an elastic matrix. To ascertain the effect of the radius of a double-walled CNT,
figure 5 shows the critical buckling loads for double-walled CNTs with various
inner radii. The critical buckling loads are obtained by minimizing the results
from equations (4.11), (4.14) and (4.23), respectively, with respect to the
wavenumbers n and m. It can be seen that the difference between the critical
buckling load that is obtained by equation (4.11) (or equations (4.14) and (4.23))
is quite large for small radii, say less than 40 nm, which indicates that the size
effect plays an important role in the critical buckling load when the radius is
small. As the radius increases, the difference between these results becomes very
small until it eventually vanishes. This implies that the effect of both the vdW
interaction and the elastic foundation is very small, and can be neglected for
double-walled CNTs with large radii.

(b ) Buckling of multi-walled CNTs embedded in an elastic matrix

We now consider a six-walled CNT that is embedded in an elastic foundation.
For all of the numerical examples except those in table 2, the innermost radius
RIZ8.5 nm. Based on the proposed continuous model, or equation (3.5), the
buckling loads for a six-walled CNT are calculated and plotted in figures 6–8


for various mixtures of the Winkler modulus KW and shear modulus Gb
.
The buckling load is dependent on the combination of wavenumbers (m, n), and
figure 6 shows the buckling loads as a function of these wavenumbers for a


six-walled CNT with KW Z 0 and Gb
Z 0. As can be seen in figure 6, the lowest
buckling load with various m for nZ0 or 1 is Nx
Z 114 515:9. With the increase

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3800 K. M. Liew and others

4.5
0.32
4.0 equation (4.11)
equation (4.14)
critical buckling load, N (N m –1) 0.30 equation (4.23)
3.5

3.0 0.28

2.5
0.26
2.0
0.24
1.5 50 52 54 56 58 60

1.0

0.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
inner radius, R (nm)

Figure 5. Critical buckling loads versus the inner radius for a double-walled CNT with a Pasternak


foundation (KW Z 1 !1010 and GbZ1!105).

1.28
n=0
1.26 n=1
n=2
buckling load, N * (×105)

1.24 n=3
n=4
1.22 n=5
n=6
1.20

1.18

1.16

1.14
1.12
50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
axial half wavenumber, m

Figure 6. Dependence of the buckling loads on the wavenumbers (m, n) for a six-walled CNT


(KW Z 0 and Gb
Z 0).

of n from 2 to 6, the lowest buckling load with respect to n gradually rises,

and thus the critical buckling load is determined to be Ncr
Z 114 515:9. To
examine the effect of the Winkler modulus on the buckling load, the relationship
between the buckling loads and the wavenumbers (m, n) is presented in figure 7


for a six-walled CNT with KW Z 1 !1010 and Gb
Z 0. Again, it can be seen that
the critical buckling load is the lowest buckling load with nZ0 and is thus
Ncr
Z 139 875:2, which is higher than the critical buckling load of a six-walled
CNT without an elastic matrix. Further, to examine the effect of the

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Buckling characteristics 3801

1.65
n =0
1.60 n =1
n =2

buckling load, N * (×105 )

n =3
1.55 n =4
n =5
n =6
1.50

1.45

1.40

1.35
60 70 80 90 100 110
axial half wavenumber, m

Figure 7. Dependence of the buckling loads on the wavenumbers (m, n) for a six-walled CNT with


an elastic matrix modelled as a Winkler foundation (KW Z 1 !1010 and Gb
Z 0).

1.85
n=0
1.80 n=1
buckling load, N * (×105 )

n=2
1.75 n=3
n=4
n=5
1.70 n=6
1.65

1.60

1.55

1.50
60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
axial half wavenumber, m

Figure 8. Dependence of the buckling loads on the wavenumbers (m, n) for a six-walled CNT with


an elastic matrix modelled as a Pasternak foundation (KW Z 1 !1010 and Gb
Z 1 !105 ).

shear modulus on the critical buckling load, figure 8 shows the dependence of the


buckling loads on the wavenumbers (m, n) for a six-walled CNT with KW Z1!
10
5
10 and Gb Z 1 !10 . The minimization of the buckling loads with respect to the
wavenumbers m and n gives a critical buckling load Ncr
Z 151 711:4, which is
higher than the critical buckling load of the six-walled CNT with a Winkler
foundation. As expected in the discussion on equation (4.14), figures 6–8 show
that the critical buckling load increases with the increase of the Winkler modulus
and the shear modulus.
To illustrate the influence of the elastic matrix on the critical buckling load,
the critical buckling loads are obtained by minimizing the buckling loads with


respect to the wavenumbers m and n for various KW and Gb
and are plotted in

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3802 K. M. Liew and others

2.0
1.9

critical buckling loads, N * (×10 5)

1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5 G*b =0
1.4 G*b =1× 105
1.3 G*b =2× 105
G*b =3× 105
1.2
G*b =4× 105
1.1 G*b =5× 105
1.0
–1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
* (×1010)
Winkler modulus, KW

Figure 9. Critical buckling loads of a six-walled CNT versus the elastic foundation modulus.

figure 9. It is very clear from figure 9 that the critical buckling loads increase as


KW and Gb
increase. As can be seen, the critical buckling load rises most quickly


with the increase of KW for Gb
Z 0. As Gb
increases, the increase of the critical


buckling load slows gradually with the increase of KW . However, with any value


of Gb , the difference between any two critical buckling loads becomes smaller


with the increase of KW until all of the critical buckling loads approach the same
constant, as shown in figure 9.
Two cases are considered to examine the dependence of the critical buckling
load on the number of layers of a multi-walled CNT. The first case is that of a
multi-walled CNT with a fixed innermost radius of 8.5 nm. Table 1 presents the


critical buckling loads with any combination of KW Z 0, 1!1010, 2!1010 and

5 5
Gb Z 0, 1!10 , 2!10 for two- to ten-walled CNTs that are embedded in an
elastic matrix. Again, it can be seen that the critical buckling load increases with


the increase of KW and Gb
for all of the CNTs. The critical buckling load


decreases as the layers increase from two to ten for any combination of KW Z 0,
10 10
5 5
1!10 , 2!10 and Gb Z 0, 1!10 , 2!10 . This is because the radius of the
outermost tube increases as the total number of layers increases, and the critical
buckling load lowers as the radius increases (Allen & Bulson 1980). Note that we
assume that the entire CNT buckles when one tube buckles, and that critical
buckling always occurs on the outermost tube, or the tube next to the outermost
tube when the outermost tube is bonded with the matrix.
In the second case, the critical buckling loads of a multi-walled CNT with a
fixed outermost radius of 11.56 nm are derived and presented in table 2.
The results can be compared with those in table 1 for multi-walled CNTs with a
fixed innermost radius of 8.5 nm, table 2. For multi-walled CNTs without a


matrix (KW Z 0 and Gb
Z 0), the critical buckling load rises (or in other words,
the capability against buckling increases) as the number of layers increases.
However, it is interesting to note that the critical buckling load rises first
and then drops with the increase of the number of layers for multi-walled CNTs

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Buckling characteristics 3803

Table 1. Critical buckling loads Nx (N mK1) for multi-walled CNTs with a fixed innermost radius
fixed as RIZ8.5 nm

Gb
Z 0 Gb
Z 1 !105 Gb
Z 2 !105

total







number KW Z KW Z KW Z KW Z KW Z KW Z

10


of layers KW Z0 1 !10 2 !1010 KW Z0 1 !10 10
2 !1010 KW Z0 1 !10 10
2 !1010

2 1.6159 2.9194 3.7164 2.4874 3.6847 4.3868 3.3156 4.3750 4.9695

3 1.5853 2.4134 2.9174 2.1234 2.8395 3.2563 2.6075 3.2005 3.5351
4 1.5557 2.1333 2.4824 1.9331 2.4115 2.6906 2.2573 2.6386 2.8574
5 1.5270 1.9552 2.2131 1.8122 2.1559 2.3576 2.0485 2.3154 2.4715
6 1.4991 1.8311 2.0313 1.7260 1.9861 2.1401 1.9084 2.1069 2.2251
7 1.4719 1.7386 1.9001 1.6592 1.8642 1.9872 1.8066 1.9610 2.0546
8 1.4453 1.6657 1.8001 1.6044 1.7717 1.8732 1.7278 1.8526 1.9294
9 1.4190 1.6055 1.7205 1.5575 1.6978 1.7841 1.6637 1.7677 1.8327
10 1.3930 1.5539 1.6547 1.5160 1.6363 1.7116 1.6095 1.6984 1.7549

Table 2. Critical buckling loads Nx (N mK1) for multi-walled CNTs with a fixed outermost radius
ROZ11.56 nm

Gb
Z 0 Gb
Z 1 !105 Gb
Z 2 !105

total







number KW Z KW Z KW Z KW Z KW Z KW Z

10


of layers KW Z0 1 !10 2 !1010 KW Z0 1 !10 10
2 !1010 KW Z0 1 !10 10
2 !1010

2 1.2298 1.8952 2.3657 1.7431 2.3874 2.8379 2.2454 2.8627 3.2892

3 1.2488 1.7149 2.0526 1.5925 2.0289 2.3397 1.9194 2.3214 2.6030
4 1.2683 1.6257 1.8848 1.5278 1.8514 2.0815 1.7670 2.0546 2.2558
5 1.2884 1.5779 1.7848 1.4981 1.7517 1.9297 1.6852 1.9032 2.0541
6 1.3090 1.5527 1.7233 1.4864 1.6930 1.8353 1.6396 1.8115 1.9290
7 1.3299 1.5415 1.6858 1.4854 1.6591 1.7760 1.6154 1.7554 1.8494
8 1.3510 1.5397 1.6647 1.4913 1.6413 1.7397 1.6048 1.7221 1.7995
9 1.3722 1.5445 1.6554 1.5020 1.6347 1.7197 1.6037 1.7046 1.7698
10 1.3930 1.5539 1.6547 1.5160 1.6363 1.7116 1.6095 1.6984 1.7549
11 1.4131 1.5667 1.6604 1.5320 1.6440 1.7122 1.6202 1.7006 1.7509
12 1.4319 1.5816 1.6707 1.5493 1.6558 1.7194 1.6342 1.7091 1.7550
13 1.4490 1.5973 1.6843 1.5666 1.6704 1.7313 1.6504 1.7218 1.7650
14 1.4637 1.6130 1.6996 1.5832 1.6864 1.7461 1.6673 1.7374 1.7791
15 1.4760 1.6275 1.7152 1.5981 1.7024 1.7624 1.6838 1.7540 1.7955

that are embedded in a matrix, which means that due to the coupling
effects of the vdW force and the matrix, there is a given number of layers at
which the critical buckling load is lowest for a multi-walled CNT that is
embedded in a matrix. For example, the lowest critical buckling loads occur on
the eight-, ten-, seven-, nine-, ten-, nine-, ten-, and eleven-walled CNTs for the


matrix parameters KW Z 1 !1010 and Gb
Z 0; KW

Z 2 !1010 and Gb
Z 0; KW

Z0

10
10
10
10
a n d Gb Z 1 !10 ; KW Z 1 !10 a n d Gb Z 1 !10 ; KW Z 2 !10 a nd

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3804 K. M. Liew and others

Gb
Z 1 !1010 ; KW


Z 0 and Gb
Z 2 !1010 ; KW


Z 1 !1010 and Gb
Z 2 !1010 ; and

10
10
KW Z 2 !10 and Gb Z 2 !10 , respectively. The corresponding lowest critical
buckling loads are 1.5397, 1.6547, 1.4854, 1.6347, 1.7116, 1.6037, 1.6984 and
1.7509 N mK1, respectively, as shown in table 2.

6. Conclusions

By using the continuum cylindrical shell theory, an efficient methodology has

been established for the buckling analysis of multi-walled CNTs that are bonded
with a matrix. To describe the interaction between the CNT and the matrix, the
matrix is modelled as a Pasternak foundation. In contrast to the work of Ru
(2000, 2001a,b) and Wang et al. (2003), in which only the vdW interaction
between two adjacent layers is described and the coefficient simply treated
2
as cZ ð320 ergs cmK2 Þ=ð0:16d Þ, this work has adopted mathematical expressions
to predict the vdW interaction between any two layers of a multi-walled CNT.
An accurate expression and a simple approximate expression have been derived
for the buckling analysis of double-walled CNTs that are embedded in a matrix.
The derived expressions clearly indicate the effects of the vdW interaction and
the matrix parameters on the critical buckling load.
Using the proposed cylindrical shell model and the explicit expressions,
numerical simulations have been carried out to examine the effects of the vdW
interaction and the matrix parameters on the critical buckling load of multi-
walled CNTs. The numerical results reveal that the critical buckling load
decreases with the increase in the number of layers for multi-walled CNTs with a
fixed innermost radius; the critical buckling load increases with the increase in
the number of layers for multi-walled CNTs with a fixed outermost radius
without a matrix; and the critical buckling load decreases first and then increases
with the increase in the number of layers for multi-walled CNTs with a fixed
outermost radius that are embedded in a matrix. That implies that there is a
worst number of layers for a multi-walled CNT that is embedded in a matrix at
which the critical buckling load is the lowest, and that this number depends on
the matrix parameters.
The work described in this paper was partially supported by a grant from the City University of
Hong Kong (project no. 7200037).

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