Tensile Loading of Ropes of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes and their Mechanical Properties

Min-Feng Yu; Bradley S. Files; Sivaram Arepalli; Rodney S. Ruoff

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.5552

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Tensile Loading of Ropes of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes and their Mechanical Properties

Min-Feng Yu, Bradley S. Files, Sivaram Arepalli, and Rodney S. Ruoff

Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5552 – Published 12 June 2000

Abstract

The mechanical response of 15 single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) ropes under tensile load was measured. For 8 of these ropes strain data were obtained and they broke at strain values of $5.3 %$ or lower. The force-strain data are well fit by a model that assumes the load is carried by the SWCNTs on the perimeter of each rope. This model provides an average breaking strength of SWCNTs on the perimeter of each rope; the 15 values range from 13 to 52 GPa (mean 30 GPa). Based on the same model the 8 average Young's modulus values determined range from 320 to 1470 GPa (mean 1002 GPa).

Received 26 January 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.5552

Authors & Affiliations

Min-Feng Yu¹, Bradley S. Files², Sivaram Arepalli³, and Rodney S. Ruoff^1,*

¹Department of Physics, Washington University–St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130
²EM2—Materials and Process Technology Branch, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058
³G_B_Tech/Lockheed Martin, 2400 NASA Road One, Houston, Texas 77058

^*To whom correspondence should be addressed.Electronic addresses: ruoff@wuphys.wustl.edu, r_ruoff@northwestern.edu (after 1 September 2000).

Carbon Stretched to the Breaking Point

Phys. Rev. Focus 5, 26 (2000)

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Vol. 84, Iss. 24 — 12 June 2000

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