Home > News > Super-Strong Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Blend Outperforms Kevlar
December 13th, 2010
Super-Strong Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Blend Outperforms Kevlar
Abstract:
The chief goal of industrial chemistry is to produce compounds with useful characteristics at as low a price as possible. Researchers from Northwestern University and various other institutions, along with corporate partners, have certainly fulfilled the first objective. They have created an exotic blend of polymer and the ubiquitous nanomaterial, carbon nanotubes, that is stronger than Kevlar.
The new material has extremely high specific strength and energy-to-failure ratios. That means that it can absorb a lot of impact without tearing, which in turn means that the force of the impact will spread out rather than be concentrated in a single destructive point. The yarn was produced from double-walled carbon nanotubes and cross-linkable organic polymers like polyvinylalcohol (PVA).
Interestingly, the yarn fibers themselves had strength characteristics slightly inferior to kevlar. For the engineers out there, the maximal reported values for ductility was ~20%, ~100Jg-1 for the energy to failure ratios, and ~1.4GPa for the specific strength. But when the fiber bundles were woven together, forming a macro-fiber with specific strength of ~6 GPa and energy to failure ratios of ~500Jg-1.
Source:
dailytech.com
Bookmark:
News and information
Less is More: Novel Cellulose Structure Requires Fewer Enzymes to Process Biomass to Fuel June 19th, 2013
Sound waves precisely position nanowires June 19th, 2013
Scientists Use Nanotechnology to Increase Thermal Stability of Essential Oils June 19th, 2013
Production of Bioactive Material for Quick Treatment of Bone Damages June 19th, 2013
Possible Futures
Space Solar Power: Key to a Livable Planet Earth June 10th, 2013
Global Nanotechnology Drug Delivery Market 2012-2016 June 10th, 2013
Nanorobot tetanus treatment animation June 9th, 2013
New horizons to drive the future of Medicine: European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine intends to lead the domain June 8th, 2013
Academic/Education
CNSE Welcomes Record Number of Students, Majority of Whom are New Yorkers, for Prestigious Summer Internship Program June 12th, 2013
FEI and University of Oklahoma Begin Collaboration Research Agreement for Understanding and Developing Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoirs: Collaboration effort will focus on new methods to classify shales in the economic assessment of “tight” resource plays June 7th, 2013
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz obtains new Collaborative Research Center on "Nanodimensional polymer therapeutics for tumor therapy" June 2nd, 2013
Lorraine University uses Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis to characterize biomolecules for agrichemicals, pharmacology and cosmetics May 28th, 2013
Nanotubes/Buckyballs
Unzipped nanotubes unlock potential for batteries: Rice University lab combines graphene nanoribbons with tin oxide for improved anodes June 13th, 2013
The Diabetes ‘Breathalyzer’: Pitt chemists demonstrate sensor technology that could detect and monitor diabetes through breath analysis alone June 10th, 2013
Los Alamos catalyst could jumpstart e-cars, green energy: The new material has the highest oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in alkaline media of any non-precious metal catalyst developed to date June 4th, 2013
Even with Defects, Graphene is Strongest Material in the World: New Study Reveals Strength of CVD Graphene May 31st, 2013
Announcements
Less is More: Novel Cellulose Structure Requires Fewer Enzymes to Process Biomass to Fuel June 19th, 2013
Sound waves precisely position nanowires June 19th, 2013
Scientists Use Nanotechnology to Increase Thermal Stability of Essential Oils June 19th, 2013
Production of Bioactive Material for Quick Treatment of Bone Damages June 19th, 2013
Military
Unzipped nanotubes unlock potential for batteries: Rice University lab combines graphene nanoribbons with tin oxide for improved anodes June 13th, 2013
Polymer structures serve as 'nanoreactors' for nanocrystals with uniform sizes, shapes: Tiny chemistry June 11th, 2013
2-D electronics take a step forward: Rice, Oak Ridge labs make semiconducting films for atom-thick circuits June 10th, 2013
Noble way to low-cost fuel cells, halogenated graphene may replace expensive platinum June 6th, 2013
Automotive/Transportation
Efficient and inexpensive: Researchers develop catalyst material for fuel cells: Platinum-nickel nano-octahedra save 90 percent platinum June 17th, 2013
Filmmaking magic with polymers June 12th, 2013
Exposure to Air Transforms Gold Alloys Into Catalytic Nanostructures: Brookhaven Lab scientists create promising gold-indium oxide nanoparticles through room-temperature oxidation June 12th, 2013
'Popcorn' particle pathways promise better lithium-ion batteries June 11th, 2013
Grants/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records
mPhase Technologies Receives 2013 Frost & Sullivan Award for Its Path-Breaking Battery Technology: Unparalleled Battery Shelf Life, Reduction in Toxicity, Cost-Effectiveness, and Small Footprint Distinguish the Cell-Array Battery From Competing Technologies June 19th, 2013
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=47679 June 19th, 2013
European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine and Nanomed2020 European Consortium Launch the Nanomedicine Award June 17th, 2013
Unzipped nanotubes unlock potential for batteries: Rice University lab combines graphene nanoribbons with tin oxide for improved anodes June 13th, 2013