Method of forming a Carbon Nanotube Suspension

• US 20070295940A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teco Nanotech Co., Ltd. (TECO Electric & Machinery Pte Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Teco Nanotech Co., Ltd. (TECO Electric & Machinery Pte Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Yu-An, Tsai, Jin-Lung, Hsiao, Chun-Yen, Chen, Kuei-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 7,378,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/500
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2201/30469 Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/123 Flat display tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/025 of field emission cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/832 having specified property, e.g. lattice-constant, thermal expansion coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/835 Chemical or nuclear reactivity/stability of composition or compound forming nanomaterial

Abstract

A carbon nanotube suspension uses water as the basic solvent added with dispersant, stabilizer, coalescing aid, adhesion promoter, and a carbon nanotube. The basic solvent and the above solutes form a low viscosity solvent with carbon nanotube suspending therein. Therefore, the carbon nanotube suspension is formed to serve as a source material of the electron emission source of a field-emission display. That is, the carbon nanotube can be coated on a surface for forming the carbon nanotube electron-emission layer.

Claims

1. A method of forming carbon nanotube suspension, comprising:

providing water as a solvent, uniformly adding 1% to 10% of dispersant and 1% to 10% antifoam in the solvent;

adding 5% to 20% of carbon nanotube;

vibrating and stirring the mixture of water, dispersant, antifoam and carbon nanotube for a predetermined period of time;

adding stablizer in the mixture and stirring the mixture;

adding 5% to 20% of coalescing aid, 1% to 5% of adhesion promoter and stirring the mixture; and

sieving the mixture by a mesh.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube is shorter than 1 micron.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispersant includes ethyl hydroxide or organic methyl eikonogen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the antifoam includes polypropylene glycol (PPG).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coalescing aid includes one or more than one of aluminum sodium sulfate, silane coupling agent, alkyd resin and tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesion promoter includes PVA, PVP, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, sodium polyacrylate or ammonium polyacrylate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stablizer includes sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonia.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibration and stirring process includes an ultrasonic vibration and stirring process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a 500 mesh is used for sieving the mixture.