Boron nitride nanotube fibrils and yarns

• US 20100192535A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Smith, Michael W., Jordan, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/387,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 57/243
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 21/0641 Preparation by direct nitridation of elemental boron
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 21/0648 After-treatment, e.g. grinding, purification transformation of hexagonal into cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride C04B35/5831
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/13 Nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/133 Multiwall nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/16 Nanowires or nanorods, i.e. solid nanofibres with two nearly equal dimensions between 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/526 characterised by the length of the fibers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5284 Hollow fibers, e.g. nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6229 based on boron nitride
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/02 Yarns or threads characterised by the material or by the materials from which they are made
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/14 Carbides; Nitrides; Silicides; Borides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2916 including boron or compound thereof [not as steel]

Abstract

A method for the production of long, high aspect ratio boron nitride nanotubes and boron nitride nanotube fibrils composed of single or few walled boron nitride nanotubes aligned in bundles of nanotubes 20 μm and longer at a rate of above about 1 meter per second. Nanotube yarns comprised of twisted bundles of such nanotube fibrils are also described.

Claims

1. ) Boron nitride nanotube fibrils comprised of longitudinally aligned bundles of boron nitride nanotubes 20 μ

m or more in length.

2. ) The boron nitride nanotube fibrils of claim 1 wherein the longitudinally aligned bundles of boron nitride nanotubes are at least 10 cm long.

3. ) The boron nitride nanotube fibrils of claim 1 wherein the boron nitride nanotubes are single walled, few walled or multi-walled.

4. ) A boron nitride yarn comprising spun boron nitride nanotube fibrils comprised of longitudinally aligned bundles of boron nitride nanotubes 20 μ

m or more in length.

5. ) The boron nitride yarn of claim 4 wherein the longitudinally aligned bundles of boron nitride nanotubes are at least 10 cm long.

6. ) The boron nitride yarn of claim 4 wherein the boron nitride nanotubes are single walled, few walled or multi walled.