William Marsh Rice University

A Nicholas G Parra-Vasquez

Robert H Hauge

Howard K Schmidt

Wen-Fang Hwang

Micah J Green

Matteo Pasquali

Virginia Angelica Davis

Ingrid Stepanek-Basset

Natneal Behabtu

Hua Fan

Virginia Davis

Colin C Young

The present invention is directed to at least one method and at least one apparatus for determining the length of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The method generally comprises the steps of: dispersing a sample of SWNTs into a suitable dispersing medium to form a solvent-suspension of solvent-suspended SWNTs; determining the mean SWNT diameter of the solvent-suspended SWNTs; introducing the solvent-suspended SWNTs into a viscosity-measuring device; obtaining a specific viscosity for the SWNT solvent-suspension; and determining the length of the SWNTs based upon the specific viscosity by solving, for example, the Kirkwood-Auer equation corrected by Batchelor's formula for the drag on a slender cylinder for 'L,' to determine the length of the SWNTs. The apparatus generally comprises: a SWNT sample introduction mechanism; a dispersal chamber; a SWNT radius-determination chamber; and a viscosity determining chamber, wherein the SWNT sample introduction mechanism, the dispersal chamber, the SWNT radius-determination chamber, and the viscosity determination chamber are each operatively connected to at least one of the others.

Method and apparatus for determining the length of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Growing community of inventors

Oxnard, CA, United States of America

A Nicholas G Parra-Vasquez