WASHINGTON: Matt Maschmann, a researcher at the University of Missouri (MU), has developed a method to predict the way in which carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are formed. Maschmann is an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in MU’s College of Engineering.
CNTs are microscopic tubular structures. They are “grown” in high-temperature furnaces, using a unique process. These CNT structures are known as “forests”, and the forces involved in creation of CNT structures are quite unpredictable.
In this study, a method was developed for predicting the manner in which the CNTs with complicated structures are formed. CNTs are highly adaptable, and this would enable engineers to add this material into a wide range of products, including combat body armor, aerospace wiring, baseball bats, micro sensors for biomedical applications, and computer logic components.
When CNTs are created in huge numbers they naturally form “forests”. The van der Waals force, which is a nanoscale adhesive force, holds these forests together. These forests are categorized based on their alignment or their rigidity. When CNTs are well aligned and dense, the resulting material has a tendency to be rigid, which would make it useful for mechanical and electrical applications. When the CNTs are disorganized, they are comparatively softer, and possess completely different types of properties.
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