Zhang M., Cui Y., Li S.
Florida State University, US
Keywords: carbon nanotubes, CNT, graphene
CNT foam is a material with a porous structure constructed with nano-porous carbon, carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It is expected that CNT foam derives many of its functions from both its nanostructure and its microstructure and, as a result, has better performance than other types of carbon foams. There are various approaches for producing CNT foam [1-3]. Our method differed from those of others in that we made CNT foams by using polymer spheres as templates and produced foam with controllable regular cell size. The process involves coating CNTs on polymer spheres in a solvent with or without polyacrylonitrile (PAN), obtaining a densely packed CNT/particle composite, and then removing the polymer from the solid by heating the composite to a temperature higher than the polymer’s boiling point. The previous positions of the polymer particles are the cells of the foam and the CNT networks form the struts of the foam.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 1, Nanotechnology 2013: Advanced Materials, CNTs, Particles, Films and Composites (Volume 1)
Published: May 12, 2013
Pages: 272 - 275
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topic: Carbon Nano Structures & Devices
ISBN: 978-1-4822-0581-7