Composite carbon nanotube structure

• US 8,840,991 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Liu, Kai, Sun, Ying-Hui, Jiang, Kai-Li, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hai
• Application Number:
  US12/960,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20110318568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 428/315.5, 428/315.7, 428/306.6, 428/316.6, 977/742, 977/734
• US Class Current: 428/306.6
• 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 2202/08 Aligned nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/174 Derivatisation; Solubilisation; Dispersion in solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/21 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5288 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62873 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249955 Void-containing component partially impregnated with adjacent component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249979 Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 Plural void-containing components

Abstract

A composite carbon nanotube structure includes a carbon nanotube film structure and a graphite structure. The carbon nanotube structure defines a number of micropores therein. The graphite structure and the carbon nanotube film structure are composited together. The graphite structure comprising a number of graphite segments filled in the micropores.

Claims

1. A composite carbon nanotube structure, consisting of

a carbon nanotube film structure consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes and a plurality of micropores defined by spaces between the plurality of carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure is a free-standing structure, and all the carbon nanotubes of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are substantially and uniformly aligned in a single direction;

and

a graphite structure composited with the carbon nanotube film structure, the graphite structure consisting of a plurality of graphite segments, wherein the micropores are filled in with the plurality of graphite segments, wherein the graphite segments are composited with the carbon nanotube film structure by immersing the carbon nanotube film structure in a polymer solution at a contact angle less than 70 degrees.

2. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes joined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

3. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotubes and the graphite segments are combined by carbon-carbon bonds therebetween.

4. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 2, wherein the graphite segments are adhered to the carbon nanotubes or wrap around the carbon nanotubes.

5. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 2, wherein the graphite segments are combined by carbon-carbon bonds therebetween.

6. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 1, wherein an average diameter of the micropores is in a range from about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometers.

7. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure consists of a plurality of carbon nanotube films, and the graphite segments in adjacent two of the plurality carbon nanotube films are combined by carbon-carbon bonds therebetween.

8. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure consists of a carbon nanotube film having a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined by van der Walls attractive force therebetween.

9. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 8, wherein the carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film are substantially parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film.

10. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of graphite segments of the graphite structure are disposed on a first surface of the carbon nanotube film structure to form a first graphite layer.

11. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 10, wherein the plurality of graphite segments are further disposed on a second surface of the carbon nanotube film structure to form a second graphite layer.

12. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 11, wherein the graphite segments of the first graphite layer or the second graphite layer, and the graphite segments filled in the micropores are combined by carbon-carbon bonds therebetween.

13. A composite carbon nanotube structure, consisting of:

a carbon nanotube film structure consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes and a plurality of micropores defined by spaces between the plurality of carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure is a free-standing structure, and all the carbon nanotubes of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are substantially and uniformly aligned in a single direction; and

a plurality of graphite segments infiltrated into the plurality of micropores of the carbon nanotube film structure, wherein the graphite segments are composited with the carbon nanotube film structure by immersing the carbon nanotube film structure in a polymer solution at a contact angle less than 70 degrees;

wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are combined by the graphite segments therebetween, and the graphite segments and the carbon nanotubes are combined by carbon-carbon bonds therebetween.

14. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 13, wherein each of the graphite segments comprises at least one grapheme segment.

15. A composite carbon nanotube structure, consisting of:

a carbon nanotube film consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes and micropores defined by spaces between the carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotube film is a free-standing structure, and all the carbon nanotubes of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are substantially and uniformly aligned in a single direction; and

two graphite layers attached to two opposite surfaces of the carbon nanotube film, wherein the carbon nanotube film is wrapped around by the two graphite layers and the two graphite layers comprise graphite segments, wherein the micropores are filled in with the graphite segments from the two graphite layers, wherein the graphite segments are composited with the carbon nanotube film structure by immersing the carbon nanotube film structure in a polymer solution at a contact angle less than 70 degrees.

16. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 15, wherein remaining graphite segments not in the micropores and the graphite segments in the micropores are combined by carbon-carbon bonds to form a graphite structure.

17. The composite carbon nanotube structure of claim 16, wherein the carbon nanotube film is embedded in the graphite structure and combined with the graphite structure by carbon-carbon bonds.