3D thermo-mechanical bending solution of functionally graded graphene reinforced circular and annular plates

Within the framework of three-dimensional elasticity theory, this paper investigates the axisymmetric bending of novel functionally graded polymer nanocomposite circular and annular plates reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GPLs) whose weight fraction varies continuously and smoothly along the thickness direction. The generalized Mian and Spencer method is utilized to obtain the analytical solutions of nanocomposite circular and annular plates under a combined action of a uniformly distributed transverse load and a through-thickness steady temperature field. Three different distribution patterns of GPLs within the polymer matrix are considered. The present analytical solutions are validated through comparisons against those available in open literature for the reduced cases. A parametric study is conducted to examine the effects of GPL weight fraction, distribution pattern, plate thickness to radius ratio, and boundary conditions on the stress and deformation fields of the plate. The results show that GPL nanofillers with a low content can have a significant reinforcing effect on the bending behavior of the thermo-mechanically loaded plate. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.