Fabrication and processing of high-strength densely packed carbon nanotube yarns without solution processes

Nanoscale. 2012 Jun 7;4(11):3389-93. doi: 10.1039/c2nr30226h. Epub 2012 Apr 27.

Abstract

Defects of carbon nanotubes, weak tube-tube interactions, and weak carbon nanotube joints are bottlenecks for obtaining high-strength carbon nanotube yarns. Some solution processes are usually required to overcome these drawbacks. Here we fabricate ultra-long and densely packed pure carbon nanotube yarns by a two-rotator twisting setup with the aid of some tensioning rods. The densely packed structure enhances the tube-tube interactions, thus making high tensile strengths of carbon nanotube yarns up to 1.6 GPa. We further use a sweeping laser to thermally treat as-produced yarns for recovering defects of carbon nanotubes and possibly welding carbon nanotube joints, which improves their Young's modulus by up to ∼70%. The spinning and laser sweeping processes are solution-free and capable of being assembled together to produce high-strength yarns continuously as desired.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Elastic Modulus
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Solutions / chemistry*
  • Tensile Strength

Substances

  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Solutions