Carbon nanotubes have attracted much interest in recent years due to their exceptional mechanical properties. The tensile properties of the currently available bulk carbon nanotube-based materials (yarns, sheets, etc.) fall far short of those of the individual nanotubes due to inter-tube sliding.Our group is examining covalent crosslinking between the nanotubes as a means to increase the tensile properties of carbon nanotube materials. We are working with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) sheet and yarn materials obtained from commercial sources. Several routes to functionalize and crosslink the nanotubes have been examined including nitrene, aryl diazonium, and epoxide chemistries. Electron beam irradiation induced crosslinking of the non-functional and functional nanotube materials was also conducted.For example, a nanotube sheet material containing approximately 3.5 mol % amine functional groups exhibited a tensile strength of 75 MPa and a tensile modulus of 1.16 GPa, compared to 49 MPa and 0.57 GPa, respectively, for the as-received material. Electron beam irradiation (2.2x 1017 e/cm2) of the same amine-functional sheet material further increased the tensile strength to 120 MPa and the modulus to 2.61 GPa. This represents approximately a 150% increase in tensile strength and a 360% increase in tensile modulus over the as-received material with only a 25% increase in material mass. Figure 1. <img src='https://acs-archive-assets2.s3.amazonaws.com/239nm/uploads/8837_sam_fig_1.jpg' alt='' />

Covalent crosslinking of carbon nanotube materials for improved tensile strength

246th National Meeting (2013)

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