Carbon nanotubes, and in particular single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), have been demonstrated to achieve excellent electrical conductivity in specific situations. Individual armchair-chirality SWCNTs are theoretically the best electrical conductor to date, however practical applications of the same remain a challenge. This presentation goes over new findings dealing with carbon nanotube fibers- optimal purification to remove impurities that disrupt conduction pathways, bringing individual carbon nanotubes into registry, and filling in gaps in said pathways with a conductor via metal infusion to allow for multiple orders of magnitude decrease in the electrical resistance of the fibers. Extensive characterization, including resonant Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, 2-point probe conductivity measurements, and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirms this method works for multi-walled CNT fibers as well, and provides a foundation for real-world applications to begin.

Optimized processing of carbon nanotube fibers for increased electrical conductivity

2019 Fall National Meeting

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