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Nanotubes Start to Show their Promise
Rei writes "Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed the highest quality nanotube sheets to date (the team previously set strength records with polymer-nanotube composites). Producable at a rate comparable to commercial wool spinning, the transparent cloth has exceedingly high conductivity, flexibility, has huge surface area to volume ratios, can potentially be made into very effective OLEDs and thin-film photovoltaic cells, and outperforms even our best bulk materials (such as Mylar and Kevlar) at strength normalized to weight. It strongly absorbs microwaves for localized heating (leading to applications in seamless microwave welding of sections and even windshield warming), changes conductivity little over a wide temperature range (very useful in sensors), and is expected to be used in commercial applications very soon. The research should even be expandable to artificial muscles! To head people off, while the exact tensile strength is not listed, it sounds like it is still far from the >100 GPa needed for a space elevator. Anyways, here's to process advancements!"
I'd like to see these sort of things geared up with 'smart' nanotechnology to make 'smart' cords and stuff like that, imagine a highly conductive wire that provided +, - and ground and detangled itself, or melted into a pool and you just pulled cord out of it, all detangled or bent into whatever shape you want.
I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.
Oh good. I wonder how much it will cost for a packet of laser printer paper made of this stuff?
I could use something snazzy for my resume.
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
And yes, folks, it cures most deceases and will get rid of that bronchitis for you and you can use it to clean your hubcaps.
I can soon have a solar powered bulletproof jacket that enhances my strength, protects me from cell phone emissions, and displays DVDs?
Or, from the article, and perhaps of more interest to us:
"flexible computer screens that could be rolled into a sack"
Haven't we been promised this for years? I wanna roll up my computer screen & carry it into my flying car!
Super, I envision the day where I can replace my tin-foil hat with a nanotube beret.
Height: 38U, Weight: 0 Newtons, Eyes: #0000FF, OS: Gray Matter 1.0 (Alpha)
Well, the greatest danger to the clean, sterile environment is carbon-based, you know...
Segmentation fault. Ore dumped.
and outperforms even our best bulk materials (such as Mylar and Kevlar) at strength normalized to weight. It strongly absorbs microwaves for localized heating
Should be interesting to see the day when a drug dealer overrides the safety interlock on his microwave and points it at nanotube body armour wearing DEA officials during a bust.
Should bring a new meaning to the phrase "hot tits"
Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stoptheelevator/
Finally, a pair of underpants that won't wear out!
by teasing nanotubes away from one side of a forest and attaching them to a strip of sticky tape
again proof that duct tape can make anything work!
Soon we will have duct tape made out of this nanotubes, after that, who knows or even dares to dream!!!
Of course, if you had been part of the effort, it would've happened twice as fast. But you obviously had other priorities, and I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I express my deep appreciation for taking a little of your precious time to share your insight with Slashdot.