Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

This chapter investigates the use of carbon nanotube (CNT) sensor thread in distributed structural health monitoring (SHM) systems, specifically as embedded damage and strain sensors. The CNT sensor thread has shown potential to be integrated into/onto composite materials to provide confident damage detection, localization, and characterization in complex geometries without complicated detection algorithms and minimal sensing channels. This chapter articulates current work done with CNT thread in Nanoworld Laboratories, specifically CNT thread performance as a sensor; past, current, and future embedded sensing work; and potential SHM design architectures for aircraft, along with a description of a few potential multifunctional aspects of the material. Multifunctional here implies improving the composite material besides self-sensing of damage and strain. Some of these multifunctional characteristics include self-sensing of moisture, oxidation, and temperature; improved mechanical properties of damping, toughness, stiffness, and strength; and improved thermal and electrical transport, among many other potential areas. Besides these multifunctional characteristics, CNT thread is low in weight and small in size and the material is modest in cost. As a consequence of these strong sensor and material characteristics, the authors believe that this could be a game-changing material for high-cost composite commercial and defense vehicles. Future military and commercial composite vehicles will have “nano inside” to provide safety, reliability, durability, condition-based maintenance, and multifunctionality.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have exceptional mechanical and electrical properties. However, the transfer of these extraordinary qualities into CNT products, without compromising performance, remains a challenge. This chapter presents an overview of the manufacturing of CNT sheets and buckypaper and also describes research performed at the University of Cincinnati in this field. CNT arrays were grown using the chemical vapor deposition method. Sheets were drawn from the spinnable CNT arrays and characterized using scanning electron microscopy to show the highly unidirectional alignment of the nanotubes in the sheet. The anisotropic morphology of the sheet provides superior properties along one material axis as observed by measuring the tensile strength, electrical resistivity, optical transmittance, and electromagnetic interference shielding properties of the material. Surface modification of aligned multiwall nanotube sheets was carried out via incorporation of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet in the sheet posttreatment process. Helium/oxygen plasma was utilized to produce carboxyl (–COO−) functionality on the surface of the nanotubes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the functional groups on the nanotube surface. The sheet was further characterized using Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle testing. Composite laminates made from functionalized CNT sheets showed higher strength than those made with pristine sheets. The effects of plasma power and oxygen concentration were studied in order to determine the best possible parameters for functionalization. Plasma treatment is a useful tool for fast, clean and dry functionalization of CNTs. This study demonstrates the ease of incorporating the plasma tool in the manufacturing process of sheets leading to the production of CNT/polymer composites. Macroscopic structures of nanotubes such as threads and sheets are leading to novel applications.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Nanotube Superfiber Materials: Science, Manufacturing, Commercialization, Second Edition, helps engineers and entrepreneurs understand the science behind the unique properties of nanotube fiber materials, how to efficiency and safely produce them, and how to transition them into commercial products. Each chapter gives an account of the basic science, manufacturing, properties and commercial potential of a specific nanotube material form and its application. New discoveries and technologies are explained, along with experiences in handing-off the improved materials to industry. This book spans nano-science, nano-manufacturing, and the commercialization of nanotube superfiber materials. As such, it opens up the vast commercial potential of nanotube superfiber materials. Applications for nanotube superfiber materials cut across most of the fields of engineering, including spacecraft, automobiles, drones, hyperloop tracks, water and air filters, infrastructure, wind energy, composites, and medicine where nanotube materials enable development of tiny machines that can work inside our bodies to diagnose and treat disease. - Provides up to date information on the applications of nanotube fiber materials - Explores both the manufacturing and commercialization of nanotube superfibers - Sets out the processes for producing macro-scale materials from carbon nanotubes - Describes the unique properties of these materials




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

There are two ways to manufacture components and devices, the top-down and bottom-up processes. Each process has its advantages and disadvantages. In our group, the bottom-up process was selected to build up electromagnetic devices using nanoscale materials in a series of steps. The design of a lightweight electric motor is described based on using nanoscale materials. Development of the motor is work in progress and various processes and results are described. There are several potential applications for lightweight sustainable electric motors. One billion electric motors are produced in the world each year.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn, a macroscopic structure of CNTs with many potential applications, has attracted increased attention around the world and across many research areas and industrial fields, including materials science, electronics, medical biology and ecology. Spinning CNTs into yarn based on traditional textile spinning principles has demonstrated the potential in many important applications by producing weavable multifunctionalized yarns. Between 1991 and 2010, new manufacturing methods have enabled the production of pure CNT yarns and CNT-based composite yarns called superfiber suitable for weaving, knitting and braiding with continuous improvements. Especially various novel technologies are used to recently produce yarns for electrochemical devices and medical bioengineering. Thus, the studies on assembling individual CNTs into macrostructures of controlled and oriented configurations continue to play an important role in exploiting CNT potential applications.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Nanotube Superfiber Materials refers to different forms of macroscale materials with unique properties constructed from carbon nanotubes. These materials include nanotube arrays, ribbons, scrolls, yarn, braid, and sheets. Nanotube materials are in the early stage of development and this is the first dedicated book on the subject. Transitioning from molecules to materials is a breakthrough that will positively impact almost all industries and areas of society. Key properties of superfiber materials are high flexibility and fatigue resistance, high energy absorption, high strength, good electrical conductivity, high maximum current density, reduced skin and proximity effects, high thermal conductivity, lightweight, good field emission, piezoresistive, magnetoresistive, thermoelectric, and other properties. These properties will open up the door to dozens of applications including replacing copper wire for power conduction, EMI shielding, coax cable, carbon biofiber, bullet-proof vests, impact resistant glass, wearable antennas, biomedical microdevices, biosensors, self-sensing composites, supercapacitors, superinductors, hybrid superconductor, reinforced elastomers, nerve scaffolding, energy storage, and many others. The scope of the book covers three main areas: Part I: Processing; Part II: Properties; and Part III: Applications. Processing involves nanotube synthesis and macro scale material formation methods. Properties covers the mechanical, electrical, chemical and other properties of nanotubes and macroscale materials. Different approaches to growing high quality long nanotubes and spinning the nanotubes into yarn are explained in detail. The best ideas are collected from all around the world including commercial approaches. Applications of nanotube superfiber cover a huge field and provides a broad survey of uses. The book gives a broad overview starting from bioelectronics to carbon industrial machines. - First book to explore the production and applications of macro-scale materials made from nano-scale particles - Sets out the processes for producing macro-scale materials from carbon nanotubes, and describes the unique properties of these materials - Potential applications for CNT fiber/yarn include replacing copper wire for power conduction, EMI shielding, coax cable, carbon biofiber, bullet-proof vests, impact resistant glass, wearable antennas, biomedical microdevices, biosensors, self-sensing composites, supercapacitors, superinductors, hybrid superconductor, reinforced elastomers, nerve scaffolding, energy storage, and many others




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Nanotubes are a unique class of materials because their properties depend not only on their composition but also on their geometry. The diameter, number of walls, length, chirality, van der Waals forces, and quality all affect the properties and performance of nanotubes. This dependence on geometry is what makes scaling-up nanotubes to form bulk material so challenging. Nanotubes are also unusual because they stick together to form bundles or strands. Nanotube superfiber materials are fibrous assemblages of nanotubes and strands. The hope and dream of researchers around the world is that nanotube superfiber materials will have broad applications and change engineering design. This chapter gives a perspective on nanotube superfiber development. This chapter discusses new applications—where we think we can go with the material properties and what applications will be enabled—and new techniques for developing superfiber material.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been at the frontier of nanotechnology research for the past two decades. The interest in CNTs is due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which surpass those of most other materials. To put CNTs into macroscale applications, the nanotubes can be spun to form continuous fiber materials. Thus far, the properties of the fibers are far below the properties of the individual nanotubes. If the electrical and mechanical properties of the fibers could be improved, the resulting superfiber materials would change the industry and society. For example, CNT materials might replace copper wires providing lighter, stronger cables for aerospace applications. The small size of individual nanotubes, and the mixture of different diameters and chiralities, limits the electrical conductivity of CNT fiber. A simple way to improve the electrical conductivity of CNT fibers is chemically doping the CNTs within the fibers. This chapter attempts to summarize, classify and provide a basic understanding of doping at the atomic and molecular levels. Characterization of doping and current results of our doping efforts are discussed.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

The nature of fiber materials and the differences between conventional fibers and nanoscale fibers are discussed in this chapter. The challenge of carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn fiber fabrication is provided from the perspective of conventional yarn fiber fabrication. Prospects for large-scale manufacturing and the physical properties of yarn are also discussed. This chapter sets the stage for presentation of a compendium of techniques working toward producing superfiber materials.




Nanotube Superfiber Materials


Book Description

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been reported to have the highest thermal conductivities of any known material. However, significant variability exists both for the reported thermal conductivities of individual CNTs and the thermal conductivities measured for macroscopic CNT assemblies (e.g. CNT films, buckypapers, arrays, and fibers), which range from comparable to metals to aerogel-like. This chapter reviews the current status of the field, summarizing a wide selection of experimental results and drawing conclusions regarding present limitations of the thermal conductivity of CNT assemblies and opportunities for improvement of the performance of nanotube superfiber materials.