Carbon nanotube-infused fiber materials containing parallel-aligned carbon nanotubes, methods for production thereof, and composite materials derived therefrom
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- providing a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising a fiber material and carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material, the carbon nanotubes being aligned substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the fiber material, and the carbon nanotubes being grown on the fiber material and infused to the outer surface;
crosslinking at least a portion of the substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes to each other, to the fiber material, or to both; and
after crosslinking, drawing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material from a liquid to reorient at least some of the carbon nanotubes into a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material and to form a layer of crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes on the outer surface of the fiber material.
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Accused Products
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.
371 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising a fiber material and carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material, the carbon nanotubes being aligned substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the fiber material, and the carbon nanotubes being grown on the fiber material and infused to the outer surface; crosslinking at least a portion of the substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes to each other, to the fiber material, or to both; and after crosslinking, drawing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material from a liquid to reorient at least some of the carbon nanotubes into a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material and to form a layer of crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes on the outer surface of the fiber material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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providing a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material comprising a fiber material and carbon nanotubes infused to the fiber material, the carbon nanotubes being aligned substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the fiber material, and the carbon nanotubes being grown on the fiber material and infused to the outer surface; 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 at least a portion of the crosslinked, substantially perpendicular-aligned, infused carbon nanotubes into a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material by drawing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material from a liquid to form a layer of crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes on the outer surface of the fiber material. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A continuous carbon nanotube growth process, the process comprising:
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providing a continuous fiber material; growing carbon nanotubes on the outer surface of the continuous fiber material in a continuous carbon nanotube growth process; wherein the carbon nanotubes are infused to the fiber material on the outer surface to form a carbon nanotube-infused fiber material, and the carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the 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 to form crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes; and after crosslinking, drawing the carbon nanotube-infused fiber material from a liquid to reorient at least some of the carbon nanotubes into a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fiber material and to form a layer of crosslinked, infused carbon nanotubes on the outer surface of the fiber material. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification