Fabrication method of composite carbon nanotube fibers/yarns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340904-B2
Application number	US-201113814448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2011
Priority date	Aug 11, 2010
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of making a carbon nanotubes fiber by providing a polyethylene terephthalate substrate; contacting the polyethylene terephthalate substrate with a polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution to form a polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer on the polyethylene terephthalate substrate; contacting the polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer with a carbon nanotube solution, wherein the carbon nanotubes solution comprises one or more carbon nanotubes; forming a nanotube layer on the polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer; delaminating the polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer from the polyethylene terephthalate substrate to release a composite fiber layer; stretching the composite fiber layer; and drying the composite fiber layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a carbon nanotubes composite fiber yarn comprising the steps of:
providing a polyethylene terephthalate substrate strip;
contacting the polyethylene terephthalate substrate with a polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution to form a polyvinyl alcohol polymer thin layer on the polyethylene terephthalate substrate;
contacting the polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer with a carbon nanotube solution;
absorbing the carbon nanotubes into the polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer to form a carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite;
delaminating the carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite from the polyethylene terephthalate substrate to release the carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite;
stretching the carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite;
spinning the carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite;
drying the carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite; and
annealing the carbon nanotube polyvinyl alcohol composite to form a carbon nanotube composite fiber yarn.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of spinning carbon nanotube composite fiber into a carbon nanotube composite fiber yarn.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of coating the polyvinyl alcohol polymer layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution has a molecular weight of at least between 50,000 and 90,000.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution is a 5% polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution with a molecular weight of at least between 50,000 and 90,000.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube solution comprises single-walled nanotubes, double-walled nanotubes, multi-walled nanotubes or a mixture thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube composite fiber yarn comprises a carbon nanotube content of between 18 and 70%.

8. A method of making a carbon nanotube composite fiber comprising the steps of:
providing a polyester strip;
contacting the polyester substrate with a polymer solution to form a polymer layer on the polyester substrate;
contacting the polymer layer with a carbon nanotube solution comprising carbon nanotubes;
absorbing the carbon nanotubes into the polymer layer to form a carbon nanotube polymer composite;
delaminating the carbon nanotube polymer composite from the polyester strip to release the carbon nanotube polymer composite;
drawing and spinning the carbon nanotube polymer composite-into a carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn; and
drying and annealing the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of stretching with spinning the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber into a carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polyester strip comprises polyethylene terephthalate.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymer layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of annealing the polymer layer.

13. The method according to any of claims 11 , wherein the carbon nanotube solution comprises one or more single-walled nanotubes, one or more double-walled nanotubes, one or more multi-walled nanotubes or a mixture thereof.

14. The method according to any of the claims 11 , wherein the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber comprises a carbon nanotube content of between 18 and 70%.

15. A method of making a composite fiber comprising the steps of:
contacting a polymer coated substrate with a carbon nanotube solution, wherein the carbon nanotubes are absorbed into the polymer coated substrate to form a carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber layer;
delaminating the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber layer from the substrate to release a carbon nanotube composite fiber layer;
stretching and spinning the carbon nanotube composite fiber layer into a carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of drying and annealing the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of drawing the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber into a carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises a polyethylene terephthalate.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate or thermo-plastic olefin (TPO).

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the polymer layer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, polyamide and polyamideimide.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of annealing the polymer layer.

22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of forming the polymer layer from a 5% polyvinyl alcohol polymer solution with a molecular weight of at least between 50,000 and 90,000.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carbon nanotube solution comprises one or more single-walled nanotubes, one or more double-walled nanotubes, one or more multi-walled nanotubes or a mixture thereof.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carbon nanotube fiber comprises a carbon nanotube content of between 18 and 70%.

25. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of coating a second layer on the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber layer, wherein the second layer comprises nanotube coats, nanofibers, polymer nanofibers, inorganic nanofibers, metal nanofibers or nano-materials, graphene nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, and multilayer nanotubes.

26. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of absorbing a second layer into the carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber layer, wherein the second layer comprises nanotube coats, nanofibers, polymer nanofibers, inorganic nanofibers, metal nanofibers or nano-materials, graphene nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles and multilayered nanotubes to form a mixed carbon nanotube polymer composite fiber yarn.

Assignees

• Yang Duck Joo
• Rahy Abdelaziz
• Hong Soon Hyung
• Ryu Seong Woo
• Univ Texas
• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Yang Duck Joo
• Rahy Abdelaziz
• Hong Soon Hyung
• Ryu Seong Woo

Classifications

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• D02G3/16

  Yarns or threads made from mineral substances · CPC title

• B29D99/0078

  Producing filamentary materials · CPC title

• Y10T428/31938

  Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon · CPC title

• D06M11/74

  with carbon or graphite; with carbides; with graphitic acids or their salts · CPC title