Buckling Analysis of FG-CNT Reinforced Composite Plates Under Linearly Varying Load in Thermal Environment

Purpose This study investigates the buckling behavior of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNT) plates subjected to linearly varying in-plane loads under thermal environments. The influences of CNT distribution patterns, boundary conditions, geometric parameters and temperature variations on the critical buckling load are examined. Methods The CNTs are assumed to be distributed through the plate thickness according to uniform distribution (UD) and two symmetric functionally graded distributions (FG-O and FG-X). The effective material properties are evaluated using the rule of mixtures. A Ritz formulation employing Chebyshev polynomial admissible functions is developed to determine the critical buckling loads. Various boundary conditions (CCCC, SSSS, SCSC, CSCF, CCFF and CFFF), aspect ratios, thickness-to-length ratios, temperature differences and non-dimensional load distribution coefficients are considered in the parametric analyses. Results The results reveal that the buckling response is significantly affected by the CNT distribution pattern, boundary conditions, thermal loading and geometric characteristics. Among the considered CNT distributions, FG-X generally provides the highest critical buckling loads, whereas FG-O yields the lowest values. Increasing temperature difference reduces the buckling resistance of the plates. The influence of the non-dimensional load distribution coefficient becomes more pronounced depending on the plate geometry and support conditions. Conclusions The proposed Chebyshev-Ritz formulation accurately predicts the buckling response of FG-CNT reinforced composite plates subjected to linearly varying in-plane loads in thermal environments. The presented results provide useful design guidelines for the analysis and optimization of advanced CNT-reinforced structural components operating under non-uniform mechanical and thermal loading conditions.