Thermal Buckling and Postbuckling Analysis of Functionally Graded Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Composite Beams

Abstract

Thermal buckling and postbuckling of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) beams are investigated in this paper based on Timoshenko beam theory within the framework of von Kármán geometric nonlinearity. The material properties of FG-CNTRCs are assumed to be temperature-dependent and vary in the beam thickness direction. The governing equations are derived by employing Hamilton’s principle then discretized by using differential quadrature (DQ) method. An iterative scheme is used to obtain the critical buckling temperature and nonlinear thermal postbuckling equilibrium path of the FG-CNTRC beam. Numerical results are presented for FG-CNTRC beams hinged or clamped at both ends, with particular focuses on the effects of the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), slenderness ratio, and end supports on the thermal buckling and postbuckling characteristics.