Mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes

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The mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes reveal them as one of the strongest materials in nature. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are long hollow cylinders of graphene. Although graphene sheets have 2D symmetry, carbon nanotubes by geometry have different properties in axial and radial directions. It has been shown that CNTs are very strong in the axial direction.^[1] Young's modulus on the order of 270 - 950 GPa and tensile strength of 11 - 63 GPa were obtained.^[1]