CARBON NANOTUBE-INFUSED FIBER MATERIALS CONTAINING PARALLEL-ALIGNED CARBON NANOTUBES, METHODS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND COMPOSITE MATERIALS DERIVED THEREFROM

• US 20110186775A1
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied NanoStructured Solutions, LLC (Cabot Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Applied NanoStructured Solutions, LLC (Cabot Corporation)
• Inventors: Malet, Brandon K., Hoskins, Robert D., Patel, Jigar M., SHAH, Tushar K., Malecki, Harry C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,999,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/182.32
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2256/00 Wires or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/041 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/12 Adsorbed ingredients , e.g. ingredients on carriers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 25/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/12 Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/73 with carbon or compounds thereof D06M11/67 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/74 with carbon or graphite; with carbides; with graphitic acids or their salts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core

Abstract

Carbon nanotube-infused fiber materials containing substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes are described herein. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber materials contain a fiber material and a layer of carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material, where the infused carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material and at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes are crosslinked to each other, to the fiber material, or both. Crosslinking can occur through covalent bonding or pi-stacking interactions, for example. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber materials can further contain additional carbon nanotubes that are grown on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes. Composite materials containing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber materials and methods for production of the carbon nanotube-infused fiber materials are also described herein.

Claims

1. A carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising:

a fiber material; and

a layer of carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material;

wherein the infused carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material; and

wherein at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes are crosslinked to each other, to the fiber material, or to both.

2. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 1, wherein crosslinking comprises covalent bonding.

3. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 1, wherein crosslinking comprises pi-stacking interactions.

4. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 3, wherein a crosslinking polymer forms the pi-stacking interactions with the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes.

5. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 1, wherein the fiber material is selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal fibers, ceramic fibers, and organic fibers.

6. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 1, further comprising:

additional carbon nanotubes grown on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

wherein the additional carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

7. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the additional carbon nanotubes are crosslinked to at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes, to each other, or to both.

8. The carbon nanotube-infused fiber material of claim 1, wherein the fiber material is of a continuous length.

9. A composite material comprising:

a matrix material; and

a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising a fiber material and a layer of carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material;

wherein the infused carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material; and

wherein at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes are crosslinked to each other, to the fiber material, or to both.

10. The composite material of claim 9, wherein crosslinking comprises covalent bonding.

11. The composite material of claim 9, wherein crosslinking comprises pi-stacking interactions.

12. The composite material of claim 11, wherein a crosslinking polymer forms the pi-stacking interactions with the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes.

13. The composite material of claim 12, wherein the crosslinking polymer is also crosslinked to the matrix material.

14. The composite material of claim 9, wherein the fiber material is selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal fibers, ceramic fibers, and organic fibers.

15. The composite material of claim 9, wherein the matrix material is selected from the group consisting of a polymer matrix, a ceramic matrix, and a metal matrix.

16. The composite material of claim 9, further comprising:

additional carbon nanotubes grown on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

wherein the additional carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

17. The composite material of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the additional carbon nanotubes are crosslinked to at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes, to each other, or to both.

18. The composite material of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material is aligned in a substantially parallel manner in the composite material.

19. The composite material of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprises chopped fibers.

20. The composite material of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprises continuous fibers.

21. A method comprising:

providing a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising a fiber material and carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material that are aligned substantially perpendicular to the surface of the fiber material; and

reorienting the substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes so as to form a layer of infused carbon nanotubes that are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

crosslinking at least a portion of the substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes to each other, to the fiber material, or to both.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein crosslinking comprises covalent bonding.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein crosslinking comprises pi-stacking interactions.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein a crosslinking polymer forms the pi-stacking interactions with the substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

placing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material in a matrix material.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein reorienting comprises a mechanical process.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein reorienting comprises a chemical process.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

depositing catalytic nanoparticles on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

growing additional carbon nanotubes on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes; and

orienting the additional carbon nanotubes such that they are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

crosslinking at least a portion of the additional carbon nanotubes to at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes, to each other, or to both.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

placing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material in a matrix material.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the fiber material is of a continuous length.

33. A method comprising:

providing a continuous fiber material; and

growing a layer of carbon nanotubes on the continuous fiber material in the presence of an electric field or a magnetic field;

wherein the carbon nanotubes are infused to the continuous fiber material so as to form a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material; and

wherein the electric field or the magnetic field is oriented such that the infused carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

crosslinking at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes to each other, to the fiber material or both.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein crosslinking comprises covalent bonding.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein crosslinking comprises pi-stacking interactions.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein a crosslinking polymer forms the pi-stacking interactions with the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

placing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material in a matrix material.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

depositing catalytic nanoparticles on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

growing additional carbon nanotubes on the layer of substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes; and

orienting the additional carbon nanotubes such that they are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the continuous fiber material.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

crosslinking at least a portion of the additional carbon nanotubes to at least a portion of the substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes, to each other, or to both.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

placing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material in a matrix material.

42. A method comprising:

providing a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising a fiber material and carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material that are aligned substantially perpendicular to the surface of the fiber material;

adding a crosslinking polymer to the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material to form crosslinked, substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

wherein the crosslinking polymer forms pi-stacking interactions with the crosslinked, substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes; and

reorienting the crosslinked, substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes so as to form a layer of crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes that are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein reorienting comprises a mechanical process.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein reorienting comprises a chemical process.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

depositing catalytic nanoparticles on the layer of crosslinked, substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

growing additional carbon nanotubes on the layer of crosslinked, substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes; and

orienting the additional carbon nanotubes such that they are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

crosslinking at least a portion of the additional carbon nanotubes to at least a portion of the crosslinked, substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes, to each other, or to both.

47. A continuous carbon nanotube growth process, the process comprising:

providing a continuous fiber material;

growing carbon nanotubes on the continuous fiber material in a continuous carbon nanotube growth process;

wherein the carbon nanotubes are infused to the fiber material so as to form a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material;

crosslinking at least a portion of the infused carbon nanotubes to each other, to the fiber material, or both;

wherein crosslinking comprises treating the infused carbon nanotubes with a crosslinking polymer that forms pi-stacking interactions with the infused carbon nanotubes so as to form crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes; and

orienting the crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes by a mechanical process or a chemical process so as to form a layer of crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes that are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the continuous fiber material.

48. The continuous carbon nanotube growth process of claim 47, further comprising:

depositing catalytic nanoparticles on the layer of crosslinked, substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes;

growing additional carbon nanotubes on the layer of crosslinked, substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes; and

orienting the additional carbon nanotubes such that they are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material.

49. The continuous carbon nanotube growth process of claim 48, further comprising:

crosslinking at least a portion of the additional carbon nanotubes to at least a portion of the crosslinked, substantially parallel-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes, to each other, or to both.