Super Long Carbon Nanotubes for Manufacturing Electrical Fiber

This project is to address the feasibility of manufacturing carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber that can replace copper wire for electrical power applications in the Air Force. The proposed work will focus on three critical aspects for fiber production that we believe are unique, and that will allow mass production of high quality electrical fiber. The approaches we selected to attack this scientific and technological challenge are: (1) synthesis of large area, cm long multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) using our novel composite catalysts for which a US patent is pending; (2) spinning long MWCNT into fiber based on existing and widely available industrial spinning technology which is only possible by using cm long nanotubes; and (3) post treatment of the produced CNT fibers for improved electrical conductivity. In practice, MWCNT and hence electrical fiber will always contain defects. A post treatment step integrated within the spinning procedure and based on thermal and plasma annealing is chosen to heal defects and improve the strength and conductivity of the fiber. Electrical fiber after such treatment is expected to be highly electrically conductive, and also flexible, bendable, fatigue resistant, and load bearing for multifunctional applications. All these fiber properties will be vigorously characterized.