Which phenomenon limits the maximum tension a carbon nanotube can withstand before breaking?

💡 Explanation

When a carbon nanotube is under extreme tension, the stress concentrates at defects. Covalent bond rupture at the defect sites occurs because these bonds are weaker due to misaligned orbital overlap from distortions, leading to crack propagation. Therefore covalent rupture limits tension, rather than quantum tunneling, thermal fluctuations or van der Waals saturation which aren't the primary failure mechanisms under high stress.

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