Bending and buckling analyses of functionally graded polymer composite plates reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets

Abstract This paper presents static bending and compressive buckling analyses of functionally graded multilayer graphene nanoplatelet (GPL)/polymer composite plates within the framework of the first-order shear deformation theory. The GPL weight fraction shows a layer-wise change along the thickness direction with GPLs uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix in each individual layer. The effective Young's modulus of the nanocomposites is estimated through the Halpin-Tsai micromechanics model while the effective Poisson's ratio is determined by the rule of mixture. Analytical solutions are obtained for the static deflection and critical buckling load of the simply supported functionally graded GPL/polymer plates by using the Navier solution technique. Numerical results show that GPL distribution pattern, weight fraction, and geometry and size have significant influences on the bending and buckling behaviors of the functionally graded GPL reinforced nanocomposite plate.