CNT-infused carbon fiber materials and process therefor

• US 9,574,300 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied NanoStructured Solutions, LLC (Cabot Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Applied NanoStructured Solutions, LLC (Cabot Corporation)
• Inventors: Gardner, Slade H., Malecki, Harry C., Shah, Tushar K., Alberding, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gambetta, Kelly M
• Application Number:
  US14/581,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20160130744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 continuous CNT infusion process comprising:

functionalizing a carbon fiber material to form a functionalized carbon fiber material;

disposing a barrier coating on said functionalized carbon fiber material;

wherein the barrier coating is selected from the group consisting of an alkoxysilane, a methylsiloxane, an alumoxane, alumina nanoparticles, spin on glass and glass nanoparticles;

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

synthesizing carbon nanotubes on said functionalized carbon fiber material, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material;

wherein the functionalized carbon fiber material is moving while disposing the barrier coating and the CNT-forming catalyst, and while synthesizing the carbon nanotubes.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said continuous CNT infusion process has a material residence time in a CNT growth chamber of between about 5 to about 300 seconds.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein a material residence time in the CNT growth chamber of about 5 to about 30 seconds produces CNTs having a length between about 1 micron to about 10 microns.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein a material residence time in the CNT growth chamber of about 30 to about 180 seconds produces CNTs having a length between about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein a material residence time in the CNT growth chamber of about 180 to about 300 seconds produces CNTs having a length between about 100 microns to about 500 microns.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein more than one carbon fiber material is run simultaneously through the process.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein said functionalizing said carbon fiber material comprises exposing said carbon fiber material to a plasma.

8. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

removing a sizing material from said carbon fiber material.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein said CNT-forming catalyst is an iron-based nanoparticle catalyst.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said functionalized carbon fiber material comprises spraying, dip coating, or gas phase deposition onto said functionalized carbon fiber material.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein disposing said barrier coating is simultaneous with disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said functionalized carbon fiber material.

12. The process of claim 1, 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.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein synthesizing carbon nanotubes comprises CVD growth.

17. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

after synthesizing the carbon nanotubes, applying sizing to said carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material.

18. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

after synthesizing the carbon nanotubes, applying a matrix material to said carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the barrier coating is deposited from a liquid onto the functionalized carbon fiber material.

13. A continuous CNT infusion process comprising:

functionalizing a carbon fiber material to form a functionalized carbon fiber material;

disposing a barrier coating on said functionalized carbon fiber material;

partially curing said barrier coating and then disposing a carbon nanotube (CNT)-forming catalyst on said functionalized carbon fiber material;

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; and

synthesizing carbon nanotubes on said functionalized carbon fiber material, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material;

wherein the functionalized carbon fiber material is moving while disposing the barrier coating and the CNT-forming catalyst, and while synthesizing the carbon nanotubes.

14. The process of claim 13 further comprising:

curing the barrier coating after disposing said CNT-forming catalyst on said functionalized carbon fiber material.

15. A continuous CNT infusion process comprising:

functionalizing a carbon fiber material to form a functionalized carbon fiber material;

disposing a barrier coating on said functionalized carbon fiber material;

fully curing said barrier coating to form a fully cured barrier coating;

exposing said fully cured barrier coating to a plasma and then

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

synthesizing carbon nanotubes on said functionalized carbon fiber material, thereby forming a carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material;

wherein the functionalized carbon fiber material is moving while disposing the barrier coating and the CNT-forming catalyst, and while synthesizing the carbon nanotubes.