CNT-INFUSED METAL FIBER MATERIALS AND PROCESS THEREFOR

• US 20100159240A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied NanoStructured Solutions, LLC (Cabot Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: SHAH, Tushar K., Malecki, Harry C., Alberding, Mark R., Gardner, Slade H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,951,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/368
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/125 the work being a web, band, strip or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/18 performed by dipping
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/20 to wires for insulating electric cables H01B13/16
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/544 the first layer is let to dry at least partially before applying the second layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/002 Manufacture of articles essentially made from metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/16 Preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 47/04 by coating, e.g. with a protective or activated covering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C16/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0272 Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/453 passing the reaction gases through burners or torches, e.g. atmospheric pressure CVD C23C16/513 takes precedence; for flame or plasma spraying of coating material in the molten state C23C4/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/545 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/75 Single-walled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/752 Multi-walled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/843 Gas phase catalytic growth, i.e. chemical vapor deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/292 In coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2924 Composite

Abstract

A composition includes a carbon nanotube (CNT)-infused metal fiber material which includes a metal fiber material of spoolable dimensions, a barrier coating conformally disposed about the metal fiber material, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) infused to the metal fiber material. A continuous CNT infusion process includes: (a) disposing a barrier coating and a carbon nanotube (CNT)-forming catalyst on a surface of a metal fiber material of spoolable dimensions; and (b) synthesizing carbon nanotubes on the metal fiber material, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused metal fiber material.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a carbon nanotube (CNT)-infused metal fiber material comprising:

a metal fiber material of spoolable dimensions;

a barrier coating conformally disposed about the metal fiber material; and

carbon nanotubes (CNTs) infused to the metal fiber material, wherein said CNTs are uniform in length and uniform in distribution.

2. The composition of claim 1 further comprising transition metal nanoparticles used in the growth of said CNTs.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the infusion of CNTs to the metal fiber material comprises a bonding motif selected from direct bonding of the CNTs to the metal fiber material;

indirect bonding via a transition metal nanoparticle catalyst disposed between the CNTs and the metal fiber material, indirect bonding via a transition metal nanoparticle catalyst and barrier coating disposed between the CNTs and the metal fiber material, indirect bonding via the barrier coating disposed between the CNTs and the metal fiber material; and

mixtures thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1, where said CNTs have a length of about 1 micron to about 500 microns.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs have a length from about 1 micron to about 10 microns.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs have a length from about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs have a length from about 100 microns to about 500 microns.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein said uniformity of distribution is characterized by a density up to about 15,000 nanotubes per micron squared (μ

m²).

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein said metal fiber material is selected from a carbon filament, a metal tow, a metal yarn, a metal tape, a unidirectional metal tape, a metal fiber-braid, a woven metal fabric, a non-woven metal fiber mat, a metal fiber ply, a ribbon, a solid sheet, and a perforated sheet.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs are selected from the group consisting of single-walled CNTs, double-walled CNTs, multi-walled CNTs, and mixtures thereof.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs are multi-walled CNTs.

12. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a sizing agent selected from a surfactant, an anti-static agent, a lubricant, siloxanes, alkoxysilanes, aminosilanes, silanes, silanols, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, and mixtures thereof.

13. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a matrix material selected from an epoxy, a polyester, a vinylester, a polyetherimide, a polyetherketoneketone, a polyphthalamide, a polyetherketone, a polytheretherketone, a polyimide, a phenol-formaldehyde, and a bismaleimide.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the electrical resistivity of said carbon nanotube-infused metal fiber is lower than the electrical resistivity of said metal fiber.

15. A continuous CNT infusion process comprising:

(a) disposing a barrier coating and a carbon nanotube (CNT)-forming catalyst on a surface of a metal fiber material of spoolable dimensions; and

(b) synthesizing carbon nanotubes on said metal fiber material, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused metal fiber material.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein said continuous CNT infusion process has a material residence time of between about 5 to about 300 seconds.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein a material residence time of about 5 to about 30 seconds produces CNTs having a length between about 1 micron to about 10 microns.

18. The process of claim 15, wherein a material residence time of about 30 to about 180 seconds produces CNTs having a length between about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

19. The process of claim 15, wherein a material residence time of about 180 to about 300 seconds produces CNTs having a length between about 100 microns to about 500 microns.

20. The process of claim 15, wherein more than one metal material is run simultaneously through the process.

21. The process of claim 15 further comprising removing a sizing material from said metal fiber material before disposing said barrier coating or catalyst on said metal fiber.

22. The process of claim 15 wherein said CNT-forming catalyst is an iron-based nanoparticle catalyst.

23. The process of claim 15, wherein the operation of disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said metal fiber material comprises spraying, dip coating, or gas phase deposition onto said metal fiber material with said solution.

24. The process of claim 15, wherein the operation of disposing said barrier coating is simultaneous with disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said metal fiber material.

25. The process of claim 15, wherein said barrier coating is conformally disposed on said metal fiber material just prior to disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said metal fiber material.

26. The process of claim 25 further comprising partially curing said barrier coating prior to disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said metal fiber material.

27. The process of claim 26 further comprising curing the barrier coating after disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said metal fiber material.

28. The process of claim 15, wherein the step of synthesizing carbon nanotubes comprises CVD growth.

29. The process of claim 15 further comprising applying sizing to said carbon nanotube-infused metal fiber material.

30. The process of claim 15 further comprising applying a matrix material to said carbon nanotube-infused metal fiber material.

31. The process of claim 15 further comprising:

a) synthesizing a first amount of a first type of carbon nanotube on said metal fiber material, wherein said first type of carbon nanotube is selected to alter at least one first property of said metal fiber material; and

b) synthesizing a second amount of a second type of carbon nanotube on said metal fiber material, wherein said second type of carbon nanotube is selected to alter at least one second property of said metal fiber material.

32. The process of claim 31, wherein said first amount and said second amount are different.

33. The process of claim 31, wherein said first amount and said second amount are the same.

34. The process of claim 31, wherein said first type of carbon nanotube and said second type of carbon nanotube are the same.

35. The process of claim 31, wherein said first type of carbon nanotube and said second type of nanotube are different.

36. The process of claim 31, wherein said first property and said second property are the same.

38. The process of claim 31, wherein said at least one first property and at least one second property are independently selected from the group consisting of tensile strength, Young'"'"'s Modulus, shear strength, shear modulus, toughness, compression strength, compression modulus, density, EM wave absorptivity/reflectivity, acoustic transmittance, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity.

37. The process of 31, wherein said first property and said second property are different.