Single-wall carbon nanotube-polymer composites

• US 6,426,134 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Samuelson, Harry Vaughn, Lavin, John Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/342,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 428/403, 428/407, 428/357, 428/375, 428/378, 428/395, 428/300.1, 423/445.B
• US Class Current: 428/300.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/24 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 1/10 Other agents for modifying properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/75 Single-walled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/753 with polymeric or organic binder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/788 Of specified organic or carbon-based composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/882 Assembling of separate components, e.g. by attaching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249948 Fiber is precoated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2969 Polyamide, polyimide or polyester

Abstract

This invention relates to single-wall carbon nanotube/polymer composites, a process for the production of such, and their use as fibers, films and articles.

Claims

1. A single filament fiber, comprising a melt-extruded single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite comprising a single wall carbon nanotube having at least one end chemically bonded to a polymer.

2. An article, comprising an injection-molded single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite comprising a single wall carbon nanotube having at least one end chemically bonded to a polymer.

3. A film, comprising a melt-extruded single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite comprising a single wall carbon nanotube having at least one end chemically bonded to a polymer.

4. A process for producing a single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite, comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting single wall carbon nanotubes with an acid, wherein at least a portion of said carbon nanotubes form acid derivatized nanotubes, each of said acid derivatized nanotubes having at least one carboxylic acid attached to at least one end of the nanotube;

(b) contacting the product of step (a) with one or more polymer precursors to form a pre-polymer product; and

(c) polymerizing the pre-polymer product of step (b) to form a single wall carbon nanotube/polymer composite.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the polymer precursors are a diacid and a diamine.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the diacid is adipic acid or dodecanedioic acid, and the diamine is hexamethylene diamine.

7. The process of claim 4 wherein the polymer precursor is caprolactam.

8. The process of claim 4 wherein the polymer precursors are a diacid or a diester, and a diol.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the diacid is terephthalic acid and the diol is ethylene glycol or 1,3-propanediol.

10. The process of claim 4, further comprising:

(a)(i) converting the acid derivatized carbon nanotube of step (a) to an acid chloride derivatized carbon nanotube, said acid chloride derivatized carbon nanotube having at least one acid chloride group attached to at least one end of the nanotube; and

(a)(ii) contacting the acid chloride derivatized carbon nanotube of step (a)(i) with an excess of a diamine to form an amine derivatized carbon nanotube, said amine derivatized carbon nanotube having at least one amine group attached to at least one end of the nanotube.