Buckling and post-buckling analyses of functionally graded graphene reinforced piezoelectric plate subjected to electric potential and axial forces

Abstract The buckling and post-buckling behaviors are analyzed for the multilayer functionally graded graphene platelets reinforced piezoelectric (FG-GRP) plates. The FG-GRP plates are subjected to the external electric potential and axial forces , including the uniaxial loading and biaxial loading . The graphene platelets (GPLs) disperse uniformly and parallelly in each graphene platelets reinforced piezoelectric composite (GRPC) layer, but they spread grading across the thickness of the FG-GRP plates. The effective Young’s modulus of each layer for the FG-GRP plates is calculated by the Halpin-Tsai parallel model. The rule of the mixture is employed to predict the Poisson’s ratio, effective mass density and piezoelectric properties of each layer of the FG-GRP plates. The governing equations of motion for the FG-GRP plates are obtained by the first-order shear deformation plate theory, von Karman nonlinear theory and principle of virtual displacements. To obtain the buckling and post-buckling behaviors of the FG-GRP plates with different boundary conditions, the differential quadrature (DQ) method and a direct iterative technique are combined to solve the governing equations of motion for the FG-GRP plates. The impacts of the external electric voltage, distribution pattern, volume fraction, piezoelectric properties, length-to-thickness of the GPLs and geometry of the plates on the critical buckling load and post-buckling equilibrium paths of the FG-GRP plates are discussed in detailed. It is clearly illustrated that the GPLs have a significantly enhancing influence on the buckling and post-buckling strength of the FG-GRP plates.