CNT-infused carbon fiber materials and process therefor

• US 8,951,632 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• 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: Shah, Tushar K., Gardner, Slade H., Alberding, Mark R., Malecki, Harry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Jeremy R
• Application Number:
  US12/611,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 428/368, 428/370, 442/188, 977/742, 977/750, 977/752, 977/843
• US Class Current: 428/368
• 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 composition comprising a carbon nanotube (CNT)-infused carbon fiber material comprising:

a carbon fiber material of spoolable dimensions;

carbon nanotubes (CNTs) infused to said carbon fiber material by growing the CNTs in the presence of transition metal nanoparticles;

wherein said CNTs are uniform in length and uniform in distribution; and

a barrier coating conformally disposed about the carbon fiber material, the barrier coating separating the carbon fiber material from transition metal nanoparticles used for growing the CNTs and said CNTs being substantially free of said barrier coating;

wherein the barrier coating is selected from the group consisting of an alkoxysilane, an alumoxane, spin on glass, and glass nanoparticles.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the infusion of CNTs to the carbon fiber material comprises a bonding motif selected from direct bonding of the CNTs to the carbon fiber material, indirect bonding via a transition metal nanoparticle catalyst disposed between the CNTs and the carbon fiber material, indirect bonding via a transition metal nanoparticle catalyst and barrier coating disposed between the CNTs and the carbon fiber material, indirect bonding via the barrier coating disposed between the CNTs and the carbon fiber material, and mixtures thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1, where said CNTs have a length from about 1 micron to about 500 microns.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs have a length from about 1 micron to about 10 microns.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs have a length from about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs have a length from about 100 microns to about 500 microns.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein said uniformity of distribution is characterized by a density up to about 15,000 nanotubes per micron squared (μ

m²).

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein said carbon fiber material is selected from a carbon filament, a carbon tow, a carbon yarn, a carbon tape, a unidirectional carbon tape, a carbon fiber-braid, a woven carbon fabric, a non-woven carbon fiber mat, a carbon fiber ply, and a 3D woven structures.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs are selected from the group consisting of single-walled CNTs, double-walled CNTs, multi-walled CNTs, and mixtures thereof.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein said CNTs are multi-walled CNTs.

11. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a sizing agent selected from a surfactant, an anti-static agent, a lubricant, siloxanes, alkoxysilanes, aminosilanes, silanes, silanols, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, and mixtures thereof.

12. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a matrix material selected from an epoxy, a polyester, a vinylester, a polyetherimide, a polyetherketoneketone, a polyphthalamide, a polyetherketone, a polytheretherketone, a polyimide, a phenol-formaldehyde, and a bismaleimide.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the electrical resistivity of said carbon nanotube-infused carbon fiber material is lower than the electrical resistivity of said carbon fiber material.