Carbon nanotube membrane systems and methods of synthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016332121-A1
Application number	US-201615154754-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some embodiments include a method of preparing a membrane by dispersing carbon nanotubes in a solvent, and preparing a slurry from the dispersion by removing at least a portion of the solvent. The method includes applying the slurry to a first surface, and forming a carbon nanotube membrane by compressing the slurry between the first surface and at least a second surface. Some embodiments forming a composite assembly by sandwiching the carbon nanotube membrane between two or more bleeder cloth layers to form an uncured assembly, and applying a curable resin to a first side of the uncured assembly, and applying a curable resin to a second side of the uncured assembly, and curing the uncured assembly.

First claim

1 . A membrane forming method comprising:
preparing a dispersion of at least one solvent and a plurality of carbon nanotubes; preparing a slurry from at least a portion of the dispersion by removing at least a portion of the at least one solvent; applying at least a portion of the slurry to a first surface; and forming a carbon nanotube membrane by compressing at least a portion of the slurry between the first surface and at least a second surface.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent comprises at least one alcohol.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one alcohol includes at least one of methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent comprises acetone.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent is removed thermally.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent is removed through agitation.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent is removed using sonication.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sonication is induced using a tip-sonicator.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the tip-sonicator operates at a frequency of about 20 KHz.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the tip-sonicator operates at a power level of about 15 Watts.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube membrane is mechanically self-supporting upon removal from at least one of the first surface and the second surface.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are pressed together at a rate of about 0.2 mm/s.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes includes at least one of single-wall carbon nanotubes and multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

14 . A composite assembly method comprising:
forming a membrane using a method comprising:
preparing a dispersion of at least one solvent and a plurality of carbon nanotubes;
preparing a slurry from at least a portion of the dispersion by removing at least a portion of the at least one solvent;
applying at least a portion of the slurry to a first surface;
forming a carbon nanotube membrane by compressing at least a portion of the slurry between the first surface and at least a second surface; and
sandwiching the carbon nanotube membrane between two or more bleeder cloth layers to form an uncured assembly; applying at least one curable resin to a first side of the uncured assembly; applying at least one curable resin to a second side of the uncured assembly; and forming the composite assembly by curing the uncured assembly;

15 . The composite assembly method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one solvent is removed thermally.

16 . The composite assembly method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one solvent is removed by sonication.

17 . The composite assembly method of claim 16 , wherein the sonication is induced using a tip-sonicator.

18 . The composite assembly method of claim 14 , wherein the carbon nanotube membrane is at least partially dried prior to forming the uncured assembly.

19 . The composite assembly method of claim 14 , wherein the curable resin at least partially permeates at least a portion of the carbon nanotube membrane.

20 . The composite assembly method of claim 14 , wherein the curable resin comprises an epoxy-based monomer.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Datta Siddhant
• Chattopadhyay Aditi

Classifications

• B01D71/021

  Carbon · CPC title

• B01D67/0046 Primary

  by slurry techniques, e.g. die or slip-casting · CPC title

• B01D71/0212

  Carbon nanotubes · CPC title

• B82B1/00

  Nanostructures formed by manipulation of individual atoms or molecules, or limited collections of atoms or molecules as discrete units · CPC title