CNT-INFUSED CARBON FIBER MATERIALS AND PROCESS THEREFOR

• US 20100178825A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• 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: MALECKI, Harry C., SHAH, Tushar K., ALBERDING, Mark R., GARDNER, Slade H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,951,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/188
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/74 Iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/745 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/75 Cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/162 characterised by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/164 involving continuous processes
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/16 Yarns or threads made from mineral substances
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/46 Flat yarns, e.g. tapes or films
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4242 Carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/76 otherwise than in a plane, e.g. in a tubular way
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/74 with carbon or graphite; with carbides; with graphitic acids or their salts
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2101/40 Fibres of carbon
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/06 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/08 Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/12 Carbon; Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/122 Nanocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/021 aromatic polyamides, e.g. aramides
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/063 : high strength
• 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 428/249948 : Fiber is precoated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/292 : In coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2924 : Composite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3057 : Multiple coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/605 : Strand or fiber material is inorganic

Abstract

A composition includes a carbon nanotube (CNT)-infused carbon fiber material that includes a carbon fiber material of spoolable dimensions and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) infused to the carbon fiber material. The infused CNTs are uniform in length and uniform in distribution. The CNT infused carbon fiber material also includes a barrier coating conformally disposed about the carbon fiber material, while the CNTs are substantially free of the barrier coating. A continuous CNT infusion process includes: (a) functionalizing a carbon fiber material; (b) disposing a barrier coating on the functionalized carbon fiber material (c) disposing a carbon nanotube (CNT)-forming catalyst on the functionalized carbon fiber material; and (d) synthesizing carbon nanotubes, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material.

Claims

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

a carbon fiber material of spoolable dimensions;

carbon nanotubes (CNTs) infused to said carbon fiber material;

wherein said CNTs are uniform in length and uniform in distribution; and

a barrier coating conformally disposed about the carbon fiber material, said CNTs being substantially free of said barrier coating.

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 carbon fiber material comprises a bonding motif selected from direct bonding of the CNTs to the carbon fiber material;

indirect bonding via a transition metal nanoparticle catalyst disposed between the CNTs and the carbon fiber material, indirect bonding via a transition metal nanoparticle catalyst and barrier coating disposed between the CNTs and the carbon fiber material, indirect bonding via the barrier coating disposed between the CNTs and the carbon 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 carbon fiber material is selected from a carbon filament, a carbon tow, a carbon yarn, a carbon tape, a unidirectional carbon tape, a carbon fiber-braid, a woven carbon fabric, a non-woven carbon fiber mat, a carbon fiber ply, and a 3D woven structures.

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 carbon fiber is lower than the electrical resistivity of said carbon fiber.

15. A continuous CNT infusion process comprising:

(a) functionalizing a carbon fiber material;

(b) disposing a barrier coating on said functionalized carbon fiber material

(c) disposing a carbon nanotube (CNT)-forming catalyst on said functionalized carbon fiber material; and

(d) synthesizing carbon nanotubes, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material.

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

17. The process of claim 15, wherein a material residence time in a CNT growth chamber 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 in a CNT growth chamber 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 in a CNT growth chamber 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 carbon fiber material is run simultaneously through the process.

21. The process of claim 15, wherein said functionalizing said carbon fiber material comprises exposing said carbon fiber material to a plasma.

22. The process of claim 15 further comprising removing a sizing material from said carbon fiber material.

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

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

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

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

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

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

29. The process of claim 26 further comprising:

a) fully curing said barrier coating; and

b) exposing said fully cured barrier coating to a plasma;

wherein steps a) and b) are performed prior to disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said functionalized carbon fiber material.

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

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

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

33. The process of claim 15 further comprising:

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

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

34. The process of claim 33, wherein said first amount and said second amount are different.

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

36. The process of claim 33, wherein said first type of carbon nanotube and said second type of carbon nanotube are the same.

37. The process of claim 33, wherein said first type of carbon nanotube and said second type of nanotube are different.

38. The process of claim 33, wherein said first property and said second property are the same.

40. The process of claim 33, 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.

39. The process of 33, wherein said first property and said second property are different.