Carbon Nanotube Films Stronger Than Kevlar (acs.org)

ckwu writes: Carbon nanotubes are exceptionally strong and stretchy. But so far, films made out of them have come nowhere close to having the mechanical strength of individual nanotubes. Researchers now report a simple fabrication method to make carbon nanotube films that are five times as strong as those made before—and stronger than films made from Kevlar or carbon fiber. The films had an average tensile strength of 9.6 gigapascals. By comparison, Kevlar fibers and commercially used carbon fibers are around 3.7 and 7 GPa, respectively. The films are also four times as pliable as conventional carbon fibers, able to elongate 8% on average.

Comments

Space elevator

[Eloking]

Yah! We can start talking about space elevator again!

Re:Space elevator

[aaron4801]

This estimate says you'd need 130 GPa to be in the right range. As of the writing, (three years ago), that was about as strong as nanotubes had been made, but only in incredibly small lengths. Scaling that up to 100,000 km is the hard part.

No thanks

[thegarbz]

I'm not buying into obsolete technology. I'll wait and see what Graphene can do.

Re:No thanks

[serviscope_minor]

I'm not buying into obsolete technology. I'll wait and see what Graphene can do.

What about if you roll up sheets of graphene to make little cylindrical tubes. Then use them as fibres. IOW you may wish to consider the relationship between carbon nanotubes and graphene.

Re:No thanks

[aliquis]

I'm not buying into obsolete technology. I'll wait and see what Graphene can do.

What about if you roll up sheets of graphene to make little cylindrical tubes. Then use them as fibres. IOW you may wish to consider the relationship between carbon nanotubes and graphene.

Carbon... Call me when they make tubes out of diamonds instead.

Re:No thanks

[gb]

Yes well, you'll be asking for carbon free diamonds next I suppose.

Re:No thanks

[The Grim Reefer]

what's whoosh made out of?

Graphene and fairy dust.

Biological Activity

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi.

Sheets and other shapes of carbon nanomolecules are known to have sharp edges that can tear up biological structures (cell membranes, for one). It is not clear if or how these carbon nanomolecules interact with biochemistry, or into what compounds the nanomolecules degrade (by nature or human effort) and what effect those breakdown products have on life chemistry.

Where do we stand with testing the biological safety of these potentially magnificent compounds BEFORE we poison ourselves again by mistake, as we did with organometallics (dioxins, PCBs), synthetic estrogens (plastics), heavy metal pollution (pthalates, mercury), etc., etc.)?

Signed,

A Biologist

PS Your best defense is a solid-block carbon water filter. You're welcome.

Re:Biological Activity

[Anonymous Coward]

$Compiler Message - Warning: unbalanced parenthesis line 9

Re:Biological Activity

[mukinrestak]

Nah man, even if just a small amount of nanotubes escape, they can cause similar effects to asbestos (another microscopic fiber), http://www.mesothelioma.com/me... The source they link is a dead link, so have this from the CDC instead http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/... There's nothing wrong with being careful and thinking ahead, and there's evidence that nanotubes, while potentially very useful, are definitely a hazardous material that we shouldn't be using willy nilly.

Don't buy the generic carbon nanotube film

[Applehu Akbar]

Because when my wife lets the end of the roll slip back into the box, she will have to mail it back to the company to get it unraveled, rather than just waiting until I get home so I can do it.