Carbon-based nanotube/metal composite and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364486-B2
Application number	US-201515302370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A nanocomposite comprising metal and carbon-based nanotube (CNT), wherein the carbon-based nanotube comprises a doping element selected from the group consisting of boron (B), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), Nitrogen (N) and the combination thereof, and methods of making the nanocomposite.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nanocomposite comprising metal and carbon-based nanotube (CNT), wherein the carbon-based nanotube comprises a doping element selected from the group consisting of boron (B), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), Nitrogen (N) and the combination thereof, and wherein the nanocomposite comprises about 0.00001 wt % to about 40 wt % carbon-based nanotube.

2. The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the metal is aluminum or copper.

3. A method of synthesizing a nanocomposite, the method comprising:
(a) suspending a doped carbon-based nanotube and metal in a suspension, wherein the carbon-based nanotube comprises a doping element selected from the group consisting of boron (B), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), Nitrogen (N) and the combination thereof; and
(b) inductively melting the suspension comprising the carbon-based nanotube and metal to provide a metal, doped CNT nanocomposite.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal is aluminum or copper.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the doping element is presented as an adatom, cluster, nanoparticle, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the carbon-based nanotube is selected from a SWCNT, DWCNT and MWCNT.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the suspension further comprises a dispersant.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the doping element is comprised on the surface of the CNT, within the skeletal structure of the CNT, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CNT is doped via a gas phase, liquid phase or solid phase.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the liquid phase further comprises a halogen.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gas phase further comprises ammonia or B 2 (CO 3 ) 3 .

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid phase comprises nanoclusters of the doping element, wherein the CNT is doped using a mechanochemical ball milling technique.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the doping element is presented as a halide precursor prior to doping the CNT.

14. The method of claim 3 , further comprising purifying the carbon-based nanotube prior to contacting the suspension of step (a).

15. The method of claim 3 , further comprising suspending the carbon-based nanotube in a dispersant prior to contacting the suspension of step (a).

16. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the use of the carbon-based nanotube without a dispersant.

17. An automobile, aircraft, aerospace and space, electronic component or sporting device comprising the nanocomposite of claim 1 .

18. An electrical wire comprising the nanocomposite of claim 1 .

19. A composite material comprising aluminum and boron doped-CNT, wherein the composite material comprises about 0.00001 wt % to about 40 wt % carbon-based nanotube.

20. The composite of claim 19 , wherein the carbon-based nanotube is selected from a SWCNT, DWCNT and MWCNT.

21. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises granules.

22. The method of claim 3 , wherein the carbon-based nanotubes are evenly dispersed within the nanocomposite.

23. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CNT is presented as a single CNT, a bundle of CNTs, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CNT comprises a diameter of from 0.5 nm to 50 nm, and a length of from 0.5 μm to 1000 μm.

25. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite comprises the CNT at from 0.00001 wt. % to 40 wt. %.

26. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite has a bulk resistivity of from 0.5 μΩcm to 3 μΩcm at room temperature.

27. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite has a thermal conductivity of from 200 W/m K to 650 W/m K at room temperature.

28. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite has a coefficient of thermal expansion of from 5 μm/m K to 30 μm/m K at room temperature.

29. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite has a specific heat of from 0.1 J/g° C. to 0.9 J/g° C.

30. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite has a tensile strength of from 40 MPa to 600 MPa.

31. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nanocomposite has a bulk modulus of elasticity of from 60 GPa to 300 GPa.

Assignees

• Penn State Res Found

Inventors

• Adu Kofi W

Classifications

• C22C1/0416

  Aluminium-based alloys · CPC title

• C22C1/05

  Mixtures of metal powder with non-metallic powder (C22C1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C01B32/168

  After-treatment · CPC title

• C01B32/17

  Purification · CPC title

• C30B1/00

  Single-crystal growth directly from the solid state (unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B3/00; under a protective fluid C30B27/00) · CPC title