Uniform Large Area, High Emisivity Blackbody Radiation Source Based on Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

In this program Foster-Miller (FMI)proposes to build on its extensive experience with processing and characterization of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) to develop a high emissivity (>0.999), large area (>600 cm2), variable temperature (330-600K), uniform emitting, black body radiation source that takes advantage of the unusually high emissivity of carbon nanotubes. Using SWNT's furnished by teaming partner Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc three different SWNT structures will be evaluated on candidate substrates: random or well-ordered deposited SWNT's using proprietary exfoliation / polymer wrapping techniques previously developed by FMI; assembling the SWNT's in an ordered array perpendicular to the substrate surface, using technology developed by teaming partner Dr. Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos of the University of Connecticut; and a combination of these two techniques. During the Phase 1 effort FMI will produce and test small articles with uniformly dense SWNT thin film coatings in the three different geometries mentioned above.. The geometry yielding the highest emissivity and most uniform radiation shall be selected for further development in Phase 2 to produce prototype large area SMNT blackbody sources to be tested and delivered to NIST for evaluation as sources for high-accuracy radiometric calibrations of infrared cameras, IR focal plane arrays, and spectroradiometers.