Thermal postbuckling of shear deformable CNT-reinforced composite plates with tangentially restrained edges and temperature-dependent properties

Buckling and postbuckling behaviors of moderately thick composite plates reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), rested on elastic foundations and subjected to two types of thermal loading are investigated in this article. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are reinforced into isotropic polymer matrix according to functional rules in which volume fractions of constituents are graded in the thickness direction. Material properties of constituents are assumed to be temperature-dependent and effective properties of nanocomposite are estimated by extended rule of mixture. Formulations are based on first-order shear deformation theory taking von Karman nonlinearity, initial geometrical imperfection, tangential constraints of edges, and two-parameter elastic foundation into consideration. Approximate solutions are assumed to satisfy simply supported boundary conditions and Galerkin method is applied to derive nonlinear temperature-deflection relations from which buckling temperatures and postbuckling equilibrium paths are determined by an iteration algorithm. Novel findings of the present study are that deteriorative influences of temperature-dependent properties on the postbuckling behavior become more serious as plate edges are partially movable, CNT volume fraction is higher, elastic foundations are stiffer, plates are thicker, and/or temperature linearly changed across the thickness.