Spheroidal aggregates comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes and method for making the same

Abstract

A method for separating single-wall carbon nanotubes from an aqueous slurry comprises adding a water-immiscible organic solvent to an aqueous slurry comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes, isolating at least some of the single-wall carbon nanotubes in the solvent, and removing the solvent from the single-wall carbon nanotubes to form dried single-wall carbon nanotubes. A spheroidal aggregate of single-wall carbon nanotubes is formed wherein the aggregate is approximately spherical and has a diameter in a range of about 0.1 and about 5 mm, and wherein the aggregate contains at least about 80 wt % single-wall carbon nanotubes. The spheroidal aggregates of single-wall carbon nanotubes are easily handled in industrial processes and are redispersable to single-wall carbon nanotubes and/or ropes of single-wall carbon nanotubes. This invention can also be applied to multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.