A novel and versatile process for the preparation of composite carbon nanotube fibers/yarns having high mechanical properties was discovered. The process can be used for the preparation of various composite CNT fibers not only from single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs), double-walled nanotubes (DWNTs), or multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) but also from the mixtures thereof. The process utilizes a thin polymer (PVA: polyvinyl alcohol) layer coated on the PET film strip followed by CNT coating on it and delaminating the CNT coated PVA layer while applying stretching with spinning. Applying annealing at 160C increases its mechanical properties. Mechanical properties of 3.8 GPa tensile strength and 84 GPa Young's modulus using MWNTs with medium MW PVA, and 1.9 GPa of tensile strength and 117 GPa of modulus using MWNTs with High MW PVA as matrix polymer, were obtained.

Novel process for the preparation of composite carbon nanotube fibers/yarns

245th National Meeting (2013)

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