Dynamical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes based on a nonlocal elasticity model

This paper investigates the free vibration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with simply supported ends. Based on the nonlocal elasticity theory which allows the effects of small length scale and the more refined van der Waals (vdW) interaction formulas, the equation of motion is first derived and then solved analytically. The results reveal that the effects of the small length scale are significant for small aspect ratios and high radial vibration modes, and are instead insensitive to the number of layers of MWCNTs and weakly dependent on the wall thickness of MWNTs. This finding means that the effects of small length scale on complicated MWCNTs may be simplified to double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) or even single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). © 2008 World Scientific Publishing Company.