Influence of Carbon Nanotube Characteristics on Macroscopic Fiber Properties.

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & NanoEngineering, The Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.

Published: October 2017

We study how intrinsic parameters of carbon nanotube (CNT) samples affect the properties of macroscopic CNT fibers with optimized structure. We measure CNT diameter, number of walls, aspect ratio, graphitic character, and purity (residual catalyst and non-CNT carbon) in samples from 19 suppliers; we process the highest quality CNT samples into aligned, densely packed fibers, by using an established wet-spinning solution process. We find that fiber properties are mainly controlled by CNT aspect ratio and that sample purity is important for effective spinning. Properties appear largely unaffected by CNT diameter, number of walls, and graphitic character (determined by Raman G/D ratio) as long as the fibers comprise thin few-walled CNTs with high G/D ratio (above ∼20). We show that both strength and conductivity can be improved simultaneously by assembling high aspect ratio CNTs, producing continuous CNT fibers with an average tensile strength of 2.4 GPa and a room temperature electrical conductivity of 8.5 MS/m, ∼2 times higher than the highest reported literature value (∼15% of copper's value), obtained without postspinning doping. This understanding of the relationship of intrinsic CNT parameters to macroscopic fiber properties is key to guiding CNT synthesis and continued improvement of fiber properties, paving the way for CNT fiber introduction in large-scale aerospace, consumer electronics, and textile applications.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b10968DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

fiber properties
16
aspect ratio
12
cnt
10
carbon nanotube
8
macroscopic fiber
8
cnt samples
8
cnt fibers
8
cnt diameter
8
diameter number
8
number walls
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!