Buckling of nonuniform carbon nanotubes under concentrated and distributed axial loads

Abstract. Buckling of nonuniform carbon nanotubes are studied with the axial load taken as a combination of concentrated and axially distributed loads. Constitutive modelling of the nanotubes is implemented via nonlocal continuum mechanics. Problem solutions are obtained by employing a weak formulation of the problem and the Rayleigh-Ritz method which is implemented by using orthogonal Chebyshev polynomials. The accuracy of the method of solution is verified against available results. Solutions are obtained for the cases of uniformly distributed and triangularly distributed axial loads. Contour plots are given to assess the effect of nonuniform cross-sections and the small-scale parameter on the buckling load for a combination of simply supported, clamped and free boundary conditions.