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.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/287/5453/637.full.pdf

Strength and breaking mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes under tensile load

https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/cas_sites/physics/pdf/Ren/p85.pdf

Advances in the science and technology of carbon nanotubes and their composites: a review

The Young's modulus, strength, and toughness of nanostructures are important to proposed applications ranging from nanocomposites to probe microscopy, yet there is little direct knowledge of these key mechanical properties. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine the mechanical properties of individual, structurally isolated silicon carbide (SiC) nanorods (NRs) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) that were pinned at one end to molybdenum disulfide surfaces. The bending force was measured versus displacement along the unpinned lengths. The MWNTs were about two times as stiff as the SiC NRs. Continued bending of the SiC NRs ultimately led to fracture, whereas the MWNTs exhibited an interesting elastic buckling process. The strengths of the SiC NRs were substantially greater than those found previously for larger SiC structures, and they approach theoretical values. Because of buckling, the ultimate strengths of the stiffer MWNTs were less than those of the SiC NRs, although the MWNTs represent a uniquely tough, energy-absorbing material.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/277/5334/1971.full.pdf

Nanobeam mechanics: Elasticity, strength, and toughness of nanorods and nanotubes

Nanotubes from Carbon.

Recently discovered carbon nanotubes have exhibited many unique material properties including very high thermal conductivity. Strong sp 2 bonding configurations in carbon network and nearly perfect self-supporting atomic structure in nanotubes give unusually high phonon-dominated thermal conductivity along the tube axis, possibly even surpassing that of other carbon-based materials such as diamond and graphite (in plane). In this chapter, we explore theoretical and experimental investigations for the thermal-transport properties of these materials.

Unusually High Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotubes

http://utw10193.utweb.utexas.edu/Archive/RuoffsPDFs/60.pdf

Mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotubes

The room temperature solubility of pure C[sub 60] has been determined in 47 solvents. The solubilities cover a wide range, from 0.01 mg/mL in methanol to 50 mg/mL in 1-chloronaphthalene. The solubilities in CS[sub 2], toluene, and hexane, three of the commonly employed solvents, are 7.9, 2.8, and 0.04 mg/mL, respectively. An examination of the solubilities of C[sub 60] as a function of the solvent properties such as index of refraction, dielectric constant, molecular size, Hildebrand solubility parameter, and H-bonding strength reaffirms the century-old principle like dissolves like. No single solvent parameter can uniformly predict the solubility of C[sub 60], but a composite picture of solvents with high solubility for C[sub 60] emerges: large index of refraction, dielectric constant around 4, large molecular volume, Hildebrand solubility parameter equal to 10 cal[sup 1/2] cm[sup [minus]3/2], and tendency to act as a moderate strength nucleophile. 18 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

Solubility of fullerene (C60) in a variety of solvents

Single-domain microcrystals of LaC2 encapsulated within nanoscale polyhedral carbon particles have been synthesized in a carbon arc. Typical particle sizes are on the order of 20 to 40 nanometers. The stoichiometry and phase of the La-containing crystals have been assigned from characteristic lattice spacings observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). EDS spectra show that La and C are the only elements present. Characteristic interatomic distances of 3.39 and 2.78 angstroms identify the compound inside the nanoparticle cavities as α-LaC2, the phase of LaC2 that is stable at room temperature. Bulk α-LaC2 is metallic and hydrolytic. Observation of crystals of pure encapsulated α-LaC2 that were exposed to air for several days before analysis indicates that the LaC2 is protected from degradation bythe carbon polyhedral shells of the nanoparticles. A high percentage of the carbon nanoparticles have encapsulated LaC2 single crystals. These carbon-coated metal crystals form a new class of materials that can be protected in their pure or carbide forms and may have interesting and useful properties.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/259/5093/346.full.pdf

Single crystal metals encapsulated in carbon nanoparticles.

THE discovery of carbon nanotubes1,2 has stimulated many theoretical studies of their physical properties3–12, and their bulk synthesis13 should soon make possible experimental measurements of these properties14. All studies so far have assumed that the nanotubes have perfect cylindrical symmetry. Here we show that van der Waals forces between adjacent nanotubes can deform them substantially, destroying this cylindrical symmetry. We present transmission electron microscopy images of two adjacent aligned tubes, about 100 A in diameter, which show flattening of the tubes along the contact region. Calculations on two-layer nested nanotubes indicate that these deformations can be explained on the basis of van der Waals interactions. We predict that these effects should be observable at least for tubes as small as 20 A in diameter, and suggest that they may have a significant influence on the tubes' physical properties.

Radial deformation of carbon nanotubes by van der Waals forces

We report the first measurement of the thermal conductivity of single crystal ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. We observe that orientational disorder significantly reduces the thermal conductivity, evidenced by a large jump in the thermal conductivity at the 260 K orientational-order transition. The temperature and time dependences of the thermal conductivity below 260 K are shown to be described by a phenomenological model that involves thermally activated jumping motion between two nearly degenerate orientations, separated by an energy barrier of \ensuremath{\sim}260 meV.

Donald C. Lorents

Papers

Mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotubes

Solubility of fullerene (C60) in a variety of solvents

Single crystal metals encapsulated in carbon nanoparticles.

Radial deformation of carbon nanotubes by van der Waals forces

Thermal conductivity of single crystal C60.