Advanced Processing Techniques for Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes for EMI Shielding of Naval Aviation Optical Materials

"The objective of this proposal is to prove the feasibility of developing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding based on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for naval aviation optical materials. While SWNTs have excellent electrical and mechanicalproperties, it is only through specialized processing techniques that viable EMI shielding can be made for aviation optical materials. Foster-Miller will utilize novel dispersion and alignment techniques to construct arrays of very fine lines of alignedSWNTs. Utilizing SWNT arrays allows the manufacture of very small lines of SWNT ropes with diameters of 10 to 100 nanometers. These thin line sizes would be much smaller than typical conventional screen wires and therefore have higher transparency in theoptical and infrared pass bands. They will provide extremely low obscuration while being very easy to incorporate into a multi-layer window structure and the spacing in the array can be easily tailored. The novel alignment technique overcomes typicalgeometry problems, such as those encountered with grid appliques, by allowing deposition in varying shapes and curvatures. The process is readily scaleable and has the highest probability for manufacturing very high transmission materials whose propertiescan be tailored for the specific application. (P-010746) Development of EMI shielding for aviation optical materials utilizing carbon nanotubes will increase optical/IR transmission wh