Carbon nanotube compositions
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsBaratunde Cola, Daron Spence
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Abstract
Metal-carbon nanotube composites having nanotubes which are uniformly dispersed within the metal matrix of the composite, and which are unbundled or substantially unbundled, have high lengths, and which can be controllably aligned are disclosed herein. Such metal-carbon nanotube composites can show improved electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, as compared to a pristine metal or metal alloy which does not contain nanotubes dispersed therein. Facile and scalable methods of fabricating such metal-nanocarbon composites are also disclosed.
Claims30
A metal-carbon composite comprising:
- a plurality of conformally coated carbon nanotubes having lengths in the range of 1-1000 microns which are uniformly dispersed within a metal or metal alloy matrix.
A method of making a metal-carbon composite, the method comprising the steps of:
- 1) preparing a carbon nanotube array on a substrate
- 2) conformally coating the carbon nanotubes on the substrate with one or more coating materials in an amount effective to increase the wettability, dispersibility, or both of the carbon nanotubes in a metal or metal matrix;
- 3) adding the conformally coated carbon nanotubes on the substrate to a melt of metal or metal alloy to form a mixture;
- and
- 4) cooling the mixture in order to form a metal-carbon nanotube composite wherein the carbon nanotubes are uniformly dispersed within the composite.
A metal-carbon composite comprising:
- a plurality of conformally coated carbon nanotubes, wherein at least one of the carbon nanotubes has a length in the range of 100-1000 microns, dispersed within a metal or metal alloy matrix.
A metal-carbon composite comprising:
- a plurality of conformally coated carbon nanotubes which are uniformly dispersed within a metal or metal alloy matrix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.