Strength and Breaking Mechanism of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Under Tensile Load
Abstract
The tensile strengths of individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were measured with a ``nanostressing stage'' located within a scanning electron microscope. The tensile-loading experiment was prepared and observed entirely within the microscope and was recorded on video. The MWCNTs broke in the outermost layer (``sword-in-sheath'' failure), and the tensile strength of this layer ranged from 11 to 63 gigapascals for the set of 19 MWCNTs that were loaded. Analysis of the stress-strain curves for individual MWCNTs indicated that the Young's modulus E of the outermost layer varied from 270 to 950 gigapascals. Transmission electron microscopic examination of the broken nanotube fragments revealed a variety of structures, such as a nanotube ribbon, a wave pattern, and partial radial collapse.
- Publication:
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Science
- Pub Date:
- January 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.287.5453.637
- Bibcode:
- 2000Sci...287..637Y
- Keywords:
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- APP PHYSICS