Method for making composite carbon nanotube structure

• US 8,980,370 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• 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): Meeks, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): DISARRO, ANN MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/960,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20110318485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 427/220, 977/892
• US Class Current: 427/220
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/212 and solid additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/005 Reinforced macromolecular compounds with nanosized materials, e.g. nanoparticles, nanofibres, nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods or nanolayered materials
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/002 Inorganic yarns or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/016 characterised by the fineness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/892 Liquid phase deposition

Abstract

A method for making a composite carbon nanotube structure includes the following steps. An organic solvent, a polymer, and a carbon nanotube structure are provided. The polymer is dissolved in the organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution. The carbon nanotube film structure is soaked with the polymer solution. A contact angle between the organic solvent and a carbon nanotube is less than 90 degrees.

Claims

1. A method for making a composite carbon nanotube structure, comprising:

providing an organic solvent and a polymer;

dissolving the polymer in the organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution; and

applying a carbon nanotube film structure in the polymer solution to composite the polymer and the carbon nanotube film structure, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure is a free-standing structure while in the polymer solution and comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes are substantially parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film structure, a contact angle between the organic solvent and the carbon nanotubes being less than 90 degrees.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact angle between the solvent and the carbon nanotubes is less than or equal to 70 degrees.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent has a surface tension greater than or equal to about 20 millimeters per newton.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the surface tension of the organic solvent is greater than or equal to about 40 millimeters per newton.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of dimethyl sulphoxide, dimethyl formamide, 2,5-dimethyl furan, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl alcohol, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylchlorid, polyethylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is polyacrylonitrile, the organic solvent is dimethyl sulphoxide, and a mass ratio between the polyacrylonitrile and the dimethyl sulphoxide is from about 1 percent to about 9 percent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a polymerization degree of the polyacrylonitrile is in a range from about 1750 to about 3300.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure comprises a carbon nanotube film, the carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film are substantially parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube film is isotropic, and the carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film are entangled with each other.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film are substantially aligned in a single direction.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween, and the carbon nanotubes of each carbon nanotube segment are substantially parallel to each other and joined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube film structure comprises a plurality of stacked carbon nanotube films adhered by only the van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising vaporizing the organic solvent from the composite carbon nanotube structure composited by the polymer and the carbon nanotube structure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a mass ratio between the polymer and the composite carbon nanotube structure containing the polymer is in a range from about 2.5 percent to about 21.5 percent.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is infiltrated into intertube spaces defined in the carbon nanotube film structure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the intertube spaces comprise spaces defined among the carbon nanotubes and spaces defined by inner surfaces of the carbon nanotubes.

18. A method for making a composite carbon nanotube structure, comprising:

providing an organic solvent, a pre-polymer, and a carbon nanotube structure, the carbon nanotube film structure being a free-standing structure and comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and the carbon nanotube film structure comprises a planar surface, the plurality of carbon nanotubes are substantially parallel to the planor surface, a contact angle between the organic solvent and the carbon nanotubes being less than 90 degrees;

dissolving the pre-polymer in the organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution;

soaking the carbon nanotube film structure with the pre-polymer solution, wherein the carbon nanotube structure is a free-standing structure while in the pre-polymer solution; and

polymerizing the pre-polymer infiltrated into the carbon nanotube film structure to obtain a polymer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged substantially along a direction parallel to the planar surface, and joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force along the direction.

20. A method for making a composite carbon nanotube structure, comprising:

providing an organic solvent and a polymer;

dissolving the polymer in the organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution; and

compositing the polymer with a free-standing carbon nanotube film by applying the free-standing carbon nanotube film in the polymer solution, wherein the free standing carbon nanotube film consists of a plurality of the carbon nanotubes, and has two opposite surfaces parallel with each other, the plurality of carbon nanotubes are substantially parallel to the two opposite surfaces of the free-standing carbon nanotube film, a contact angle between the organic solvent and the carbon nanotubes being less than 90 degrees.