Method for making composite carbon nanotube structure

• US 9,567,221 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• 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, Jiang, Kai-Li, Sun, Ying-Hui, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): VETERE, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US12/960,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20110318486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 427/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/168 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/48 Organic compounds becoming part of a ceramic after heat treatment, e.g. carbonising phenol resins
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5256 Two-dimensional, e.g. woven structures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5288 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/616 Liquid infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/522 Graphite C04B35/536 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6264 Mixing media, e.g. organic solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6265 involving reduction or oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6267 Pyrolysis, carbonisation or auto-combustion reactions
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6268 characterised by the applied pressure or type of atmosphere, e.g. in vacuum, hydrogen or a specific oxygen pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/83 Carbon fibres in a carbon matrix

Abstract

A method for making a composite carbon nanotube structure is introduced. The method includes the following steps. A carbon nanotube structure and a polymer are provided. The polymer and the carbon nanotube structure are composited together. The composite carbon nanotube structure composited with polymer and the carbon nanotube is then graphitized.

Claims

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

providing a carbon nanotube structure and a polymer;

compositing the carbon nanotube structure and the polymer; and

graphitizing the polymer composited with the carbon nanotube structure to obtain the composite carbon nanotube structure comprising a graphite structure, wherein the graphitizing the polymer comprises;

pre-oxidizing the polymer composited with the carbon nanotube structure at a pre-oxidizing temperature to form a pre-oxidized polymer;

heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to a graphitizing temperature; and

carbonizing the pre-oxidized polymer composited with the carbon nanotube structure at the graphitizing temperature, wherein a mass ratio between the graphite structure and the composite carbon nanotube structure is controlled by a time of heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to the graphitizing temperature, wherein the mass ratio between the graphite structure and the composite carbon nanotube structure is increased by expanding the time of heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to the graphitizing temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises a carbon nanotube film structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes and defining a plurality of micropores having a size of about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometers therein;

the graphite structure comprises a plurality of graphite segments in the plurality of micropores and combined with the carbon nanotubes with carbon-carbon bonds therebetween.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises a carbon nanotube wire comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween along an axial direction and defining a plurality of intertube spaces among the plurality of carbon nanotubes;

the graphite structure comprises a plurality of graphite fibers in the plurality of intertube spaces and wrapping the plurality of carbon nanotubes along the axial direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mass ratio between the graphite structure and the composite carbon nanotube structure is decreased by reducing the time of heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to the graphitizing temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the compositing the carbon nanotube structure and the polymer comprises:

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

soaking the carbon nanotube structure into the polymer solution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a contact angle between the organic solvent and carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube structure is less than 90 degrees.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a surface tension of the organic solvent is greater than 20 millimeters per newton.

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

providing a carbon nanotube structure and a polymer;

compositing the carbon nanotube structure and the polymer; and

graphitizing the polymer composited with the carbon nanotube structure to obtain the composite carbon nanotube structure comprising a graphite structure, wherein the graphitizing the polymer comprises;

pre-oxidizing the polymer composited with the carbon nanotube structure at a pre-oxidizing temperature to form a pre-oxidized polymer;

heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to a graphitizing temperature; and

carbonizing the pre-oxidized polymer composited with the carbon nanotube structure at the graphitizing temperature, wherein a mass ratio between the graphite structure and the composite carbon nanotube structure is controlled by a time of heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to the graphitizing temperature, wherein the mass ratio between the graphite structure and the composite carbon nanotube structure is decreased by reducing the time of heating the pre-oxidized polymer from the pre-oxidizing temperature to the graphitizing temperature.