Back to results
US 2017/0283262 A1Published application
Interwoven carbon nanotube mats
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKeith Daniel Humfeld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for interweaving carbon nanotubes. One embodiment comprises a layer of carbon nanotubes. The layer includes carbon nanotubes oriented in a first direction, as well as carbon nanotubes oriented in a second direction that crosses the first direction. The carbon nanotubes oriented in the second direction are interwoven through the carbon nanotubes oriented in the first direction.
Claims25
A method comprising:
- selectively growing carbon nanotubes via a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process, comprising:
- aligning an electrical field in a first direction for a first set of carbon nanotubes;
- heating the first set of carbon nanotubes above a threshold temperature to trigger parallel growth of the first set of carbon nanotubes in the first direction via CVD;
- and
- repeatedly varying the first direction by adjusting the electrical field, causing the first set of carbon nanotubes to interweave into a second set of carbon nanotubes as growth continues.
2 more elements
A system for fabricating a sheet of interwoven carbon nanotubes, the system comprising:
- carbon nanotube catalysts that grow different sets of nanotubes;
- a heating system configured to heat the nanotubes;
- an electric field generator;
- and
- a controller configured to operate the heating system to selectively heat individual sets in order to trigger carbon nanotube growth during Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), and to operate the electric field generator to generate an electrical field that points in a direction that varies during the growth of a set of carbon nanotubes, causing carbon nanotubes of the set to interweave other carbon nanotubes as growth continues.
2 more elements
A material comprising:
- a layer of carbon nanotubes, comprising:
- carbon nanotubes oriented in a first direction;
- and
- carbon nanotubes oriented in a second direction that crosses the first direction, and that are interwoven through the carbon nanotubes oriented in the first direction.
1 more element
A material comprising:
- a first set of carbon nanotubes that comprise a first chirality and that are oriented in parallel;
- a second set of carbon nanotubes that comprise a second chirality and that form a first sinusoid intersecting the first set;
- and
- a third set of carbon nanotubes that comprise a third chirality and that forma second sinusoid intersecting the first set,
- the second sinusoid is shifted in phase from the first sinusoid.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.