Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Strain Sensing Based on Multiscale Composite Materials Reinforced with Graphene Nanoplatelets
Published on: November 7, 2016
Boundary condition and pre-strain effects on the free standing indentation response of graphene monolayer
Lixin Zhou1, Yugang Wang, Guoxin Cao
1School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Using molecular mechanics simulations, we investigated the true pre-stress/pre-strain state of graphene in free standing indentation and the effect of the pre-strain (ε0) on the free standing indentation response of graphene is also considered. We found that there is essentially no effective pre-tension in graphene during free standing indentation and the reported pre-tensile stress determined from the indentation tests does not show the true pre-stress state of graphene, which is a 'fake stress' caused by the assumption (the indenter tip displacement is equal to the displacement of graphene) typically used in the classic indentation analysis. A negative ε0 will increase the van der Waals (VDW) interaction between the indenter tip and graphene to cause a larger overestimation of both values of the elastic modulus (E) and the nonlinear elastic constant (c) of graphene from the classic indentation analysis. However, applying a positive ε0 in graphene, the VDW effect will be significantly decreased, and a more accurate value of E can be obtained, but the value of c will decrease to zero, which may become an effective way to more accurately obtain the elastic stiffness of graphene from indentation tests.
Related Concept Videos
Plastic Behavior
Shearing Strain
Residual Stresses in Bending
Bending of Curved Members - Strain Analysis
The important part of bending analysis for such a member...
Stress-Strain Diagram - Brittle Materials

