Elastic self-healing during shear accommodation in crystalline nanotube ropes

Rigid-tube computations of simple (transverse) shear in crystalline nanotube ropes (CNTRs) reveal that shear modulus and strength increase and decrease with the tube radius, respectively. High modulus to strength ratios suggest that dislocations play a minor role during their plasticity. The computed shear moduli are in agreement with previous studies, although shape change and rolling-based shear may modify low strain and temperature behavior. The instability past the shear strength is due to shear localization via interlayer sliding, wherein stress relief results in significant elastic energy dissipation. Large-tube radius CNTRs accommodate large strains at minimal energetic cost during sliding, due to the increasingly cohesive and short range nature of the intertube potential. Fascinatingly, the crystal aids its recovery, implying that CNTRs may be promising materials for energy absorption and tribology.