Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080210370 | MACROSCOPIC ORDERED ASSEMBLY OF CARBON NANOTUBES - The present invention is directed to the creation of macroscopic materials and objects comprising aligned nanotube segments. The invention entails aligning single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) segments that are suspended in a fluid medium and then removing the aligned segments from suspension in a way that macroscopic, ordered assemblies of SWNT are formed. The invention is further directed to controlling the natural proclivity or nanotube segments to self assemble into or ordered structures by modifying the environment of the nanotubes and the history of that environment prior to and during the process. The materials and objects are “macroscopic” in that they are large enough to be seen without the aid of a microscope or of the dimensions of such objects. These macroscopic ordered SWNT materials and objects have the remarkable physical, electrical, and chemical properties that SWNT exhibit on the microscopic scale because they are comprised of nanotubes, each of which is aligned in the same direction and in contact with its nearest neighbors. An ordered assembly of closest SWNT also serves as a template for growth of more and larger ordered assemblies. An ordered assembly further serves as a foundation for post processing treatments that modify the assembly internally to specifically enhance selected material properties such as shear strength, tensile strength, compressive strength, toughness, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. | 09-04-2008 |
20080213162 | Amplification of Carbon Nanotubes Via Seeded-Growth Methods - The present invention is directed towards methods (processes) of providing large quantities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of defined diameter and chirality (i.e., precise populations). In such processes, CNT seeds of a pre-selected diameter and chirality are grown to many (e.g., hundreds) times their original length. This is optionally followed by cycling some of the newly grown material back as seed material for regrowth. Thus, the present invention provides for the large-scale production of precise populations of CNTs, the precise composition of such populations capable of being optimized for a particular application (e.g., hydrogen storage). The present invention is also directed to complexes of CNTs and transition metal catalyst precurors, such complexes typically being formed en route to forming CNT seeds. | 09-04-2008 |
20090294753 | CARBON NANOTUBE DIAMETER SELECTION BY PRETREATMENT OF METAL CATALYSTS ON SURFACES - A new and useful nanotube growth substrate conditioning processes is herein disclosed that allows the growth of vertical arrays of carbon nanotubes where the average diameter of the nanotubes can be selected and/or controlled as compared to the prior art. | 12-03-2009 |
20100008843 | MULTI-STEP PURIFICATION OF SINGLE-WALL CARBON NANOTUBES - The present invention relates to processes for the purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Known methods of single-wall carbon nanotube production result in a single-wall carbon nanotube product that contains single-wall carbon nanotubes in addition to impurities including residual metal catalyst particles and amounts of small amorphous carbon sheets that surround the catalyst particles and appear on the side of the single-wall carbon nanotubes. The present purification processes remove the extraneous carbon as well as metal-containing residual catalyst particles. | 01-14-2010 |
20100028247 | METHODS FOR SELECTIVE FUNCTIONALIZATION AND SEPARATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES - The present invention is directed toward methods of selectively functionalizing carbon nanotubes of a specific type or range of types, based on their electronic properties, using diazonium chemistry. The present invention is also directed toward methods of separating carbon nanotubes into populations of specific types or range(s) of types via selective functionalization and electrophoresis, and also to the novel compositions generated by such separations. | 02-04-2010 |
20100028613 | Carbon Nanotubes Grown on Nanostructured Flake Substrates and Methods for Production Thereof - Carbon nanotubes grown on nanostructured flake substrates are disclosed. The nanostructured flake substrates include a catalyst support layer and at least one catalyst layer. Carbon nanotubes grown on the nanostructured flake substrates can have very high aspect ratios. Further, the carbon nanotubes can be aligned on the nanostructured flake substrates. Through routine optimization, the nanostructured flake substrates may be used to produce single-wall, double-wall, or multi-wall carbon nanotubes of various lengths and diameters. The nanostructured flake substrates produce very high yields of carbon nanotubes per unit weight of substrate. Methods for making the nanostructured flake substrates and for using the nanostructured flake substrates in carbon nanotube synthesis are disclosed. | 02-04-2010 |
20100176349 | REDOX FRACTIONATION OF SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES - A method for separating fractions of single-walled carbon nanotubes includes exposing a solution containing fractions of single-walled carbon nanotubes to a reducing agent and separating the resulting reaction products. An alternate method for separating fractions of single-walled carbon nanotubes includes exposing a solution containing fractions of single-walled carbon nanotubes to an oxidizing agent and separating the resulting reaction products. A third method for separating fractions of single-walled carbon nanotubes includes exposing a solution containing fractions of substantially non-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes to a charge transfer complex agent and separating the resulting reaction products. These methods allow the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes of approximately 95 to 99% metallic and semiconducting types. | 07-15-2010 |
20100284898 | BULK CUTTING OF CARBON NANOTUBES USING ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION - According to some embodiments, the present invention provides a method for attaining short carbon nanotubes utilizing electron beam irradiation, for example, of a carbon nanotube sample. The sample may be pretreated, for example by oxonation. The pretreatment may introduce defects to the sidewalls of the nanotubes. The method is shown to produces nanotubes with a distribution of lengths, with the majority of lengths shorter than 100 tun. Further, the median length of the nanotubes is between about 20 nm and about 100 nm. | 11-11-2010 |
20100320141 | PRODUCTION OF SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBE GRIDS - A method of forming a nanotube grid includes placing a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles on a grid framework, contacting the catalyst nanoparticles with a gas mixture that includes hydrogen and a carbon source in a reaction chamber, forming an activated gas from the gas mixture, heating the grid framework and activated gas, and controlling a growth time to generate a single-wall carbon nanotube array radially about the grid framework. A filter membrane may be produced by this method. | 12-23-2010 |
20110311427 | Strongly Bound Carbon Nanotube Arrays Directly Grown On Substrates And Methods For Production Thereof - The present disclosure describes carbon nanotube arrays having carbon nanotubes grown directly on a substrate and methods for making such carbon nanotube arrays. In various embodiments, the carbon nanotubes may be covalently bonded to the substrate by nanotube carbon-substrate covalent bonds. The present carbon nanotube arrays may be grown on substrates that are not typically conducive to carbon nanotube growth by conventional carbon nanotube growth methods. For example, the carbon nanotube arrays of the present disclosure may be grown on carbon substrates including carbon foil, carbon fibers and diamond. Methods for growing carbon nanotubes include a) providing a substrate, b) depositing a catalyst layer on the substrate, c) depositing an insulating layer on the catalyst layer, and d) growing carbon nanotubes on the substrate. Various uses for the carbon nanotube arrays are contemplated herein including, for example, electronic device and polymer composite applications. | 12-22-2011 |
20120145997 | PRODUCTION OF VERTICAL ARRAYS OF SMALL DIAMETER SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES - A hot filament chemical vapor deposition method has been developed to grow at least one vertical single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT). In general, various embodiments of the present invention disclose novel processes for growing and/or producing enhanced nanotube carpets with decreased diameters as compared to the prior art. | 06-14-2012 |
20120295091 | PROCESSES FOR FABRICATING FILMS OF GRAPHENE, CARBON NANOTUBES, AND OTHER CARBON NANOSTRUCTURES ON VARIOUS TYPES OF SUBSTRATES - Methods for producing carbon films are disclosed herein. The methods include treating a carbon nanostructure with one or more dispersing agents, filtering the solution through a filter membrane to form the carbon film, releasing the carbon film from the filter membrane, and transferring the film onto a desired substrate without the use of sonication. Carbon films formed by said methods are also disclosed herein. | 11-22-2012 |
20150023858 | REBAR HYBRID MATERIALS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME - In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to methods of forming a reinforcing material by: (1) depositing a first material onto a catalyst surface; and (2) forming a second material on the catalyst surface, where the second material is derived from and associated with the first material. In some embodiments, the first material includes, without limitation, carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoribbons, boron nitride nanotubes, chalcogenide nanotubes, carbon onions, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the formed second material includes, without limitation, graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, chalcogenides, and combinations thereof. In additional embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure also include a step of separating the formed reinforcing material from the catalyst surface, and transferring the separated reinforcing material onto a substrate without the use of polymers. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to reinforcing materials formed by the aforementioned methods. | 01-22-2015 |