CARBON NANOTUBE-INFUSED FIBER MATERIALS CONTAINING PARALLEL-ALIGNED CARBON NANOTUBES, METHODS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND COMPOSITE MATERIALS DERIVED THEREFROM
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
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.
170 Citations
49 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
-
Specification