Theoretical studies of the stretching behavior of carbon nanowires and their superplasticity

The tensile deformation of carbon nanowire (CNW) is examined by molecular dynamics method. Results indicate that the carbon nanowire undergoes superplastic deformation. The maximum tensile strain of the carbon nanowire could increase to nearly 245% before tensile failure. The maximum stress for a CNW is 16.65 GPa which is lower than carbon nanotube. During the deformation, the carbon nanowire is found to be drawn a single atomic chain. Crown copyright (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved.