FAULT ANALYSIS OF SINGLE WALLED CARBON NANOTUBE

Abstract

Since the discovery of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) they have been a subject of extensive research. Carbon nanotubes are the strongest and stiffest materials yet discovered in terms of tensile strength and elastic modulus respectively. The strength and flexibility of carbon nanotubes makes them of potential use in controlling other nanoscale structures that is why they play an important role in nanotechnology engineering. Carbon Nanotube are been used as potential application component as resonators, mass sensor and structural element in mechanical field. Some of these applications require high amount of precision in measurement and CNT to be faultless. But due to the inherent defects in Carbon Nanotube actual properties of CNT differ and are difficult to simulate. In this report the effect of defects on the vibration behaviour of Carbon Nanotube is discussed in detail. The extent of this report is limited to the analytical and numerical analysis of defects in Single walled Carbon Nano Tube (SWCNT). Effect of various CNT parameters like length, diameter and chirality has been illustrated. Different type of defects are analysed based on their role in application of CNT. In case of application of CNT as nanotube based resonator and mass sensors, defects that are taken into consideration are waviness, vacancy defect and pinhole defect. In case of CNT application as a structural element, the effect of loading on crack propagation is studied. Outcome of this report helps us to predict the change in properties of CNT like resonant frequency due to various defects and how CNT.parameters affect the vibrational behaviour. Simulation results can also be used to predict the pattern in crack propagation under tensile loading.