Polyaniline/carbon nanotube sheet nanocomposites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097499-B2
Application number	US-201916673517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A method allows for preparation of CNT nanocomposites having improved mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Structured carbon nanotube forms such as sheet, yarn, and tape are modified with π-conjugated conductive polymers, including polyaniline (PANT), fabricated by in-situ polymerization. The PANI modified CNT nanocomposites are subsequently post-processed to improve mechanical properties by hot press and carbonization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a carbon nanotube nanocomposite, the method comprising:
stretching a carbon nanotube material up to 33% strain to form a stretched carbon nanotube material;
immersing the stretched carbon nanotube material in a monomer solution, wherein monomer of the monomer solution adsorbs onto carbon nanotube surfaces of the stretched carbon nanotube material;
polymerizing the monomer in situ to form a layer of π-conjugated conductive polymer on the carbon nanotube surfaces of the stretched carbon nanotube material, wherein the π-conjugated conductive polymer essentially locks the stretched structure of the carbon nanotube material, and wherein the π-conjugated conductive polymer layer has a thickness of from 3 nm to 20 nm; and
hot pressing the stretched carbon nanotube material comprising the π-conjugated conductive polymer formed on the carbon nanotube surfaces thereof to form a consolidated carbon nanotube nanocomposite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube material is selected from the group consisting of a carbon nanotube sheet, a carbon nanotube tape, and a carbon nanotube yarn.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube material is a carbon nanotube sheet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer is aniline.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer solution is an acidic solution.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer solution is an acidic solution and the monomer is aniline.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer is aniline, and wherein the weight ratio of the carbon nanotube material and aniline is from 1:1 to 1:5.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the π-conjugated conductive polymer is polyaniline (PANI).

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the π-conjugated conductive polymer is from 30 wt% to 70 wt% of the carbon nanotube nanocomposite.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hot pressing occurs at temperature of between 25° C. and 300° C. and under a pressure of between 1 MPa and 2 GPa.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stretching is performed in a solvent.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stretching is performed in a solvent selected from the group consisting of acetone, methanol, N-methylpyrrolidone, and ethanol.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stretching is performed in a dry environment.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the thickness of the π-conjugated conductive polymer layer by adjusting polymerization time and a concentration of the monomer in the monomer solution.

Assignees

• Nasa

Inventors

• Kim Jae-Woo
• Siochi Emilie J
• Wise Kristopher E
• Connell John W
• Lin Yi
• Wincheski Russell A
• Working Dennis C

Classifications

• H01B1/24 Primary

  the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon · CPC title

• B29C70/682

  Preformed parts characterised by their structure, e.g. form · CPC title

• B29C70/543 Primary

  Fixing the position or configuration of fibrous reinforcements before or during moulding (for non-woven fabrics D04H3/08) · CPC title

• B29C70/42

  for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles · CPC title

• B29C70/887

  locally reinforced, e.g. by fillers (filler concentrated near the surface B29C70/64) · CPC title