Continuous Multifunctional Carbon Nano-tube Yarns

YA-LI LI
Key Lab of Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology
Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering,
Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

Continuous weavable multifunctional carbon nanotube yarns are fabricated at one-step by spinning from a catalytic chemical vapor deposition reaction. The CNT yarn is formed through the direct assembling of carbon nanotubes in the gas flow as continuous integrated by mechanical winding. Kilometers of high-quality continuous yarn are spun from this process through the design of the CVD reaction with innovative spinning methods.
The CNT yarn consists of high purity carbon nanotubes with single walled or double walled structures with controlled alignments and yarn morphologies. Solid, hollow and multiple layered yarns with interconnected crossed or oriented CNTs are fabricated by controlling spinning. The CNT yarn is strong and flexible which can be manipulated, mechanically engineered and woven into a fabric, potentially for structural and composite applications. It can be infiltrated with polymers or ceramic precursors to form directional nanocomposites with promising reinforcement effects. Moreover, the CNT yarn is highly electrically conductive and thermally conductive potential for functional applications. The use of the CNT yarn as flexible weavable supercapacitors, sensors and solar cells are demonstrated.