The thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes with Stone-Wales defects was investigated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics method. The defect effects were analyzed by the temperature profile and local thermal resistance of the nanotubes with one or more Stone-Wales defects and further compared with perfect tubes. The influences of the defect concentration, the length, the chirality and the radius of tubes and the ambient temperature were studied. It was demonstrated that a sharp jump in the temperature profile occurred at defect position due to a higher local thermal resistance, thus dramatically reducing the thermal conductivity of the nanotube. As the number of Stone-Wales defects increased, the thermal conductivity decreased. Relative to the chirality, the radius had greater effects on the thermal conductivity of tubes with Stone-Wales defects. With the similar radius, the thermal conductivity of armchair nanotube was higher than that of zig-zag one. The shorter nanotube was more sensitive to the defect than the longer one. Thermal conductivity of the nanotube increased with ambient temperature, reached a peak, and then decreased with increasing temperature.

Effects of Stone-Wales Defects on the Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotubes. L.Wei, F.Yanhui, P.Jia, Z.Xinxin: Journal of Heat Transfer, 2012, 134[9], 092401