Study of shape, size and temperature-dependent elastic properties of nanomaterials

Abstract

The impact of shape, size and temperature on elastic properties of nanomaterials is studied in this work. We have extended the melting temperature expression for nanostructures formulated by Guisbiers et al. and obtained the expression of elastic moduli and thermal expansivity for nanomaterials. An isobaric Tait equation of state is combined with Guisbiers model and the model so obtained is applied to analyze the shape, size and temperature effect on Young’s modulus and thermal expansivity in nanomaterials. The present computed results are compared with the simulated results and available experimental data. The Young’s modulus is observed to decrease as particle size is reduced while thermal expansivity increases with decrease in the size of nanomaterial. The Young’s modulus shows decrease with increase in temperature and decrement is observed maximum in spherical nanomaterials and minimum in nanofilms (NFs). Rate at which modulus is decreasing is found to increase as particle size is reduced. Good consistency of present predicted results with the available theoretical and experimental data is observed. The present calculated results are thus found consistent with the general trend of variation.