New Carbon-based Paper Stronger Than Nanotubes

LynnwoodRooster writes "Science Magazine reports that a group from Northwestern University in Illinois has a new process for creating carbon-based paper that's stronger than nanotubes, and incredibly easy to use to make sheets of any desired sizes. Huge implications for aircraft, automobiles, and the ever-sought-after space elevator?"

Comments

The end of a generation of excuses

[MrNaz]

Now try claiming your dog ate your homework!

Re:The end of a generation of excuses

[Citizen of Earth]

Now try claiming your dog ate your homework!

"My dog ate my homework. I'll hand it in tomorrow."

Gives a new meaning to the word...

[dpbsmith]

..."carbon paper."

Water

[l33t.g33k]

TFA states that water is the "kryptonite" of the superstrong paper. Doesn't that kill its practicality in things like planes and automobiles? If it rains, then you could have a major catastrophe on your hands...

Re:Water

[flawedgeek]

It's possible that it could be impregnated with some sort of resin, making it more of a carbon fiber, just a ton stronger .

Re:Water

[MrNaz]

Not sure if you're aware of this, but they have invented other things that could be used to cover it. Like this new stuff called "plastic". They could use "plastic" cladding to protect carbon nanopaper from "rain".

Re:Water

[misleb]

Sure, but one nick in the plastic coating and the paper is compromised. That's certainly not something I'd be anxious to fly around with. No, wait, it WOULD make me anxious to fly around with that covering the plane. Maybe if you could somehow infuse the paper with a water proofing...

Re:Water

[DynaSoar]

> It's possible that it could be impregnated with some sort of resin, making it more of a carbon fiber, just a ton stronger .

That's the usual practice for making composites for structures and vehicles. Epoxy is the resin of choice. Using epoxy with this material as opposed to woven carbon material will result in very little weight difference, but if this stuff will be that much cheaper, great. Here's my source for making rocket parts; check the prices per yard: http://www.aerosleeves.com/Carbon_Fiber_Biaxial_Sl eeving_p/cf-slv.htm
There's also a recurring shortage andd thus price fluctuations due to supply problems with the raw fiber. A new material with roughly the same characteristics but without the supply problems would be very nice too.

Epoxy would also make them fairly water resistant after curing. Topping that with acrylic completes that job and makes for a pretty finish too. That doesn't solve the manufacturing problem. I hope they come up with a solution (har...) that's not an environment unfriendly solvent.

Re:Water

[kimvette]

Didn't early airplanes use either paper or silk for the skin, rather than metal? All they had to do to make characteristics of the medium more desirable (weatherproof, taught) was to "dope" the medium, which involved painting on a coating. Many model RC aircraft still use that technology today.

It's no different than any other composite. Silk is still an extremely attractive (oops, no pun intended) medium for composites, but very expensive compared to carbon fiber, kevlar, and fiberglass cloths. But, with any of those modern materials used in composites, the tensile strength is one thing, but torsional stiffness is nonexistent, and the materials are not waterproof. Resin by itself has extremely good torsional strength, but very little tensile strength and is very brittle. So, the solution is to make a sandwich of materials with each desirable characteristic, resulting in a composite material which will have the most desirable characteristics of each composite component, but without the undesirable characteristics. Carbon fibre is protected from UV, water, and abrasion by the epoxy (and usually a additional layer of protection using acrylic, lacquer, or other coating - in other words paint), and the resin provides torsional stiffnes by itself AND by bonding several layers of the cloth together, which utilizes the tensile strength of each composite to further increase torsional strength without becoming brittle.

Why should paper be any different? The bonding techniques will be different, sure, but this discovery is the first step. The next step is to either devise a new bonding process which is as reliable as "conventional" composites, or to find a way to use this process to develop new fibers which can be used in conventional composite construction techniques.

It would be interesting to see how this development affects experimental aircraft. Can a Long-EZ or Cozy MkIV be made lighter with this new material, without sacrificing airframe strength and without lengthening build time?

Re:Water

[evilviper]

TFA states that water is the "kryptonite" of the superstrong paper. Doesn't that kill its practicality in things like planes and automobiles?

Not in the slightest. It just won't be a drop-in replacement for aluminum.

All materials have their strengths and weaknesses. Think of something more like a house... Wood doesn't do too well with water, so the roof is coated with weak, non-structural materials like asphalt shingles or tile. In fact most structural building materials don't do too well with exposure to water and are shielded in some way.

It's not hard to imagine this carbon paper being used to construct structural beams of airplanes and automobiles, being coated with rubber or tar for last-line protection, and having the skin made of other materials that aren't at all susceptible to water (aluminum, fiberglass, or composites).

Of course, we don't know that is going to be an issue to begin with. They seem to be looking into materials other than water to bond the carbon, so this could all be a moot point.

Re:Water

[florescent_beige]

Didn't early airplanes use either paper or silk for the skin, rather than metal? All they had to do to make characteristics of the medium more desirable (weatherproof, taught) was to "dope" the medium...

It also rots. My neighbour had a Pacer whose fabric rotted out and he had to get the wing recovered.

Silk is still an extremely attractive (oops, no pun intended) medium for composites...

Silk is often referred to as "stronger than steel". That may be true per unit density (strength/weight), it really doesn't matter because silk is useless as a structural due to it's low stiffness. Young's modulus is around 100 or 200 MPA, whereas aluminum is about 70,000 and steel is 200,000.

But, with any of those modern materials used in composites, the tensile strength is one thing, but torsional stiffness is nonexistent...

There is no such thing as the torsional strength of a material. Structures have torsional strength, not materials. Materials have shear strength, and the shear strength of even the very very best polymers are negligible compared to common structural materials. The shear strength of common high-performance epoxies used in aircraft composites are maybe 5 ksi when you account for moisture absorption and service temperature, whereas 2024 aluminum is maybe 30 ksi.

Resin by itself has extremely good torsional strength, but very little tensile strength and is very brittle...

Resin doesn't have good "torsional" (shear) strength, it has bad shear strength. Ditto for the tensile strength. Again, compared to most structural materials, most polymers (resins) have high elongation to failure but that varies widely depending on the amount of crosslinking of the hydrocarbon chains. Within the epoxies, you can formulate ones that have low crosslinking and stretch like bubblegum, or you can crosslink the bejeepers out of them and create glass. It depends on the chemistry.

Carbon fibre is protected from UV, water, and abrasion by the epoxy (and usually a additional layer of protection using acrylic, lacquer, or other coating - in other words paint)...

Actually, the resin together with the fibers forms a microstructure that becomes a material continuum from the macro perspective. That is, the composite is actually a structure on a microscopic scale, but from an engineering point of view it is viewed as a material with properties derived using classical lamination theory. So the purpose of the matrix (resin) is structural, you could say to support the fibers that carry the actual load. The paint is required to protect the matrix from UV and moisture as most polymers are susceptible to both.

...and the resin provides torsional stiffness by itself AND by bonding several layers of the cloth together, which utilizes the tensile strength of each composite to further increase torsional strength without becoming brittle.

The resin doesn't provide any of the stiffness, the fibers do all that, the resin (matrix) supports the fibers so they can do their job. The shear stiffness and strength of the laminate stack come from plies at 45 degrees to the load application direction. Mohr's circle for pure shear tells us that you get pure tension and compression in the 45 degree directions, which the fibers can carry. It's quite clever and is the classic example of structural tailoring.

Why should paper be any different?

A million reasons. How resistant the material is to delamination would be my first question. Hidden delamination and it's effect on compression strength was carbon/epoxy's Achilles heel for a long time. Getting the matrix (epoxy?)

Just imagine...

[Megane]

Just imagine what Yomiko Readman could do with that paper!

Re:Nanotubes?

[Mikya]

While we're on the issue isn't regular paper carbon-based itself?

On the radio

[MGSnake]

Otacon, my new cardboard box is ready.

Strong, but not strong enough.

[Orange Crush]

Huge implications for . . . the ever-sought-after space elevator?

Sadly, no. TFA links to the actual paper. Tensile strength is on the order of 35 GPa. We'd need 65 GPa or more from a material with density similar to graphite.

New Army Body Armor

[Charcharodon]

In latest news, after years of frustrating requests for new gear that have gone unfull-filled . Troops in the field resorted to putting thousands of Post-it notes on their Humvees and on their old body army.

Pvt Parts was quoted "Yeah they're crap for camouflage and look fucking stupid, that and some joker keeps writing "I luv the cock" and sticking it on my back, but man do they stop the bullets."

Also in the news FBI has arrested three men with suspected terrorist links in an Office Depot this morning, trying to buy three pallets of inkjet paper without having proper I.D. nor the required Federal permits to make the purchase.

What about scissors

[Bender0x7D1]

Does this mean that paper beats rock AND scissors now?

140MPa is similar to brass, not nanotubes

[viking80]

The tensile strength is about 140 MPa according to TFA. This is similar to brass and far below carbon nanotubes at 63 GPa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensile_strength

Re:Nanotubes?

[polymath69]

Well-yeah-sorta. In terms of organic vs. inorganic chemistry, paper has carbon so it qualifies as organic. But paper's mostly cellulose, (C6H10O5)n, so it isn't mostly carbon by weight, and certainly not all carbon like this new material.

(While I'm thinking of it, why do organic vegetables cost more? They're all organic...)

Kevlar

[Guppy]

TFA states that water is the "kryptonite" of the superstrong paper. Doesn't that kill its practicality in things like planes and automobiles? If it rains, then you could have a major catastrophe on your hands... This is exactly the same mechanism that causes Kevlar to lose strength when wet. The strength of the material is in large part dependent on hydrogen bonding between the polymer chains. Water also forms hydrogen bonds, and so it can insert itself between them, weakening the material.

Paper Is Already "Carbon-Based"

[aldheorte]

Trees claim prior art. News at 11.

foretold by William Gibson in "Virtual Light"

[spage]

Under its coat of spray-on imitation rust and an artful bandaging of silver duct-tape, the geometry of the paper-cored, carbon-wrapped frame makes Chevette's thighs tremble. There's a little double zik as the particle-brakes let go, then she's up and on it.

(Chevette the bike messenger is a precursor to Jessica Alba's Max in Dark Angel.