Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Sabic Global Technologies B.v.

William Marsh Rice University

Kumar, Satish

Kirmani, Mohammad

Gulgunje, Prabhakar

Satish Kumar

Kishor Kumar Gupta

Sreekumar Thaliyil Veedu

Prabhakar V Gulgunje

Bradley A Newcomb

Han Gi Chae

Yaodong Liu

Manjeshwar G Kamath

Rajesh Kumar Saini

Fred E Arnold, Jr

Richard E Smalley

Ramesh Sivarajan

Robert H Hauge

Thuy D Dang

Ravi Bellamkonda

Matteo Pasquali

Young-Tae Kim

Nikhil Eapen Verghese

Virginia Angelica Davis

Lars Martin Ericson

Po-Hsiang Wang

Tao Liu

Sushanta Ghoshal

Malcolm B Polk

Xiaodong Hu

An-Ting Chien

Huibin Chang

Dasharatham Goud Janagama

Mohammad Hamza Kirmani

Amir Ahmad Bakhtiary Davijani

Nikhil Verghese

In a method of making a material, a bismaleimide system is heated to generate a bismaleimide liquid (). The bismaleimide liquid is degassed () to generate a degassed bismaleimide liquid. At least one of high speed shear mixing and probe sonication is performed to the degassed bismaleimide liquid to generate a highly mixed bismaleimide liquid phase (). The highly mixed bismaleimide liquid phase is cured (). A bismaleimide product is made by heating a three component bismaleimide system to generate a bismaleimide liquid, which is degassed in a 30 mbar vacuum until no new visually perceptible bubbles are detected. The degassed liquid is high speed shear mixed at a speed of 3500 RPM for 10 minutes to generate a highly mixed bismaleimide liquid phase, which is cured to make the bismaleimide product. A substance includes cured bismaleimide having an impact strength in a range of 56 kJ/mto 82 kJ/m.

High impact strength bismaleimide plastics

In a method of making a carbon fiber, PAN (poly(acrylonitrile-co methacrylic acid)) is dissolved into a solvent to form a PAN solution. The PAN solution is extruded through a spinneret, thereby generating at least one precursor fiber. The precursor fiber is passed through a cold gelation medium, thereby causing the precursor fiber to gel. The precursor fiber is drawn to a predetermined draw ratio. The precursor fiber is continuously stabilized to form a stabilized fiber. The stabilized fiber is continuously carbonized thereby generating the carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is wound onto a spool. A carbon fiber has a fiber tensile strength in a range of 5.5 GPa to 5.83 GPa. The carbon fiber has a fiber tensile modulus in a range of 350 GPa to 375 GPa. The carbon fiber also has an effective diameter in a range of 5.1 μm to 5.2 μm.

High strength and high modulus carbon fibers

In a method of making a carbon fiber, PAN (poly(acrylonitrile-co methacrylic acid)) is dissolved into a solvent to form a PAN solution. The PAN solution is extruded through a spinneret, thereby generating at least one precursor fiber. The precursor fiber is passed through a cold gelation medium, thereby causing the precursor fiber to gel. The precursor fiber is drawn to a predetermined draw ratio. The precursor fiber is continuously stabilized to form a stabilized fiber. The stabilized fiber is continuously carbonized thereby generating the carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is wound onto a spool. A carbon fiber has a fiber tensile strength in a range of 5.5 GPa to 5.83 GPa. The carbon fiber has a fiber tensile modulus in a range of 350 GPa to 375 GPa. The carbon fiber also has an effective diameter in a range of 5.1 &#x3bc;m to 5.2 &#x3bc;m.

Method for making high strength and high modulus carbon fibers

Polypropylene-coated functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (PP/f-MWNT) comprising functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (f-MWNT) in an amount of from about 0.5 wt. % to about 80 wt. %, based on the total weight of the PP/f-MWNT; and polypropylene (PP) in an amount of from about 20 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the PP/f-MWNT. A method of making PP/f-MWNT comprising (a) contacting pristine multiwall carbon nanotubes (p-MWNT) with nitric acid to produce f-MWNT; (b) contacting at least a portion of the f-MWNT with a first solvent to form a f-MWNT dispersion; (c) contacting PP with a second solvent to form a PP solution; (d) contacting at least a portion of the f-MWNT dispersion with at least a portion of the PP solution to form a PP and f-MWNT suspension; and (e) drying at least a portion of the PP and f-MWNT suspension to form the PP/f-MWNT.

Polymer coated multiwall carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit high electrical and thermal conductivity and good mechanical properties, making them suitable fillers for composites. Their effectiveness as a filler is affected by their state of aggregation. Novel ordered helical wrapping of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been achieved on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). This carbon nanotube composite not only thwarts CNT aggregation, but also may be successfully leveraged for applications such as electrical energy storage and mechanical reinforcement.

Ordered wrapping of poly(methyl methacrylate) on single wall carbon nanotubes

In a method of making a high surface area carbon material, a precursor organic material is prepared. The precursor organic material is subjected to a first elevated temperature while applying a gaseous purge thereto for a first predetermined time. The precursor organic material is subjected to a second elevated temperature while not applying the gaseous purge thereto for a second predetermined time after the first predetermined time. A high surface area carbon material includes carbon and has a surface area in a range between 3029 m/g to 3565 m/g and a pore volume in a range between 1.66 cm/g and 1.90 cm/g. The high surface area carbon material may be employed in an electrode for a supercapacitor.

High surface area carbon materials and methods for making same

In a method of making a carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes (CNT) are mixed into a solution including polyacrylonitrile (PAN) so as to form a CNT/PAN mixture. At least one PAN/CNT fiber is formed from the mixture. A first predetermined electrical current is applied to the PAN/CNT fiber until the PAN/CNT fiber is a stabilized PAN/CNT fiber. A heatable fabric that includes a plurality of fibers that each have an axis. Each of the plurality of fibers includes polyacrylonitrile and carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polyacrylonitrile in a predetermined weight percent thereof and aligned along the axes of the plurality of fibers. The plurality of fibers are woven into a fabric. A current source is configured to apply an electrical current through the plurality of fibers, thereby causing the fibers to generate heat.

Use, stabilization and carbonization of polyacrylonitrile/carbon composite fibers

In a method of making a carbon fiber, polyacrylonitrile is dissolved into a first solvent, thereby generating a first solution. A plurality of cellulose nano-structures is dispersed in a second solvent, thereby generating a first suspension. The first suspension is mixed with the first solution, thereby generating a first mixture. The first mixture is spun so as to draw fibers from the first mixture. The fibers are stabilized and then the fibers are carbonized. A fiber includes an elongated carbonized polyacrylonitrile matrix. A plurality of carbonized cellulose nano-structures is in the carbonized polyacrylonitrile matrix.

Polyacrylonitrile/cellulose nano-structure fibers

A scaffold for tissue regeneration is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the scaffold is implantable in a patient in need of nerve or other tissue regeneration and includes a structure which has a plurality of uniaxially oriented nanofibers made of at least one synthetic polymer. Preferably, at least 75% of the nanofibers are oriented within 20 degrees of the uniaxial orientation. The scaffold beneficially provides directional cues for cell and tissue regeneration, presumably by mimicking the natural strategy using filamentous structures during development and regeneration.

Nanofilament scaffold for tissue regeneration

The present invention involves alewives of highly aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT), process for making the same and compositions thereof. The present invention provides a method for effectively making carbon alewives, which are discrete, acicular-shaped aggregates of aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes and resemble the Atlantic fish of the same name. Single-wall carbon nanotube alewives can be conveniently dispersed in materials such as polymers, ceramics, metals, metal oxides and liquids. The process for preparing the alewives comprises mixing single-wall carbon nanotubes with 100% sulfuric acid or a superacid, heating and stirring, and slowly introducing water into the single-wall carbon nanotube/acid mixture to form the alewives. The alewives can be recovered, washed and dried. The properties of the single-wall carbon nanotubes are retained in the alewives.

Single-wall carbon nanotube alewives, process for making, and compositions thereof

The invention relates to a film comprising greater than 80 wt % single-wall carbon nanotubes wherein the tensile modulus is at least about 6 GPa at 0.2% strain and the conductivity of the film is at least about 70,000 S/m. The tensile modulus is typically about 8 GPa at 0.2% strain. The method for making the film comprises preparing a solution of single-wall carbon nanotubes in a superacid, such as oleum containing approximately 20 to 30% sulfur trioxide, under a dry, oxygen-free atmosphere. The solution is placed on a surface in a moisture-containing atmosphere, wherein the solution absorbs moisture and acid leaches out. The film is washed to further remove acid, dried, and, optionally, subjected to a heat treatment. Besides free-standing films, coatings of single-wall carbon nanotubes can be made on a variety of surfaces including polymers, glass, metals, and ceramics. The surfaces can be flat planes, fibers or contour shapes.

Single-wall carbon nanotube film having high modulus and conductivity and process for making the same

The present invention relates to a supercapacitor, also known as an electrical double-layer capacitor or ultracapacitor, having electrode material comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes can be derivatized with functional groups. The electrode material is made by preparing a polymer-nanotube suspension comprising polymer and nanotubes, forming the polymer-nanotube suspension into a polymer-nanotube composite of the desired form, carbonizing the polymer-nanotube composite to form a carbonaceous polymer-nanotube material, and activating the material. The supercapacitor includes electrode material comprising activated carbonaceous polymer-nanotube material in contact with current collectors and permeated with an electrolyte, which may be either fluid or solid. In the case of a fluid or compressible electrolyte, an electrolyte-permeable separator or spacer is interposed between the electrodes to keep the electrodes from shorting. The supercapacitor made with electrodes comprising underivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes and polymer that has been carbonized and activated appears to operate as a non-Faradaic supercapacitor.

Supercapacitor having electrode material comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes and process for making the same

The present invention relates to compositions comprising rigid-rod polymers and carbon nanotubes. The compositions comprise dispersed carbon nanotubes aligned with rigid-rod polymers. The alignment of the nanotubes and polymers can be liquid crystalline. The rigid-rod polymers of this invention include, but are not limited to, polymers and copolymers comprising benzobisazole, pyridobisimidazole and benzamidazobenzo-phenanthroline repeat units. Dispersion of carbon nanotubes is achieved by in-situ polymerization in the presence of the carbon nanotubes, which may be either single-wall or multi-wall or a combination of both. The polymer compositions comprising carbon nanotubes may be spun into fibers or formed into films. The strength of the resulting fibers of the present invention is significantly greater than that of fibers without carbon nanotubes.

Compositions comprising rigid-rod polymers and carbon nanotubes and process for making the same

The present invention relates to a high modulus macroscopic fiber comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and an acrylonitrile-containing polymer. In one embodiment, the macroscopic fiber is a drawn fiber having a cross-sectional dimension of at least 1 micron. In another embodiment, the acrylonitrile polymer-SWNT composite fiber is made by dispersing SWNT in a solvent, such as dimethyl formamide or dimethyl acetamide, admixing an acrylonitrile-based polymer to form a generally optically homogeneous polyacrylonitrile polymer-SWNT dope, spinning the dope into a fiber, drawing and drying the fiber. Polyacrylonitrile/SWNT composite macroscopic fibers have substantially higher modulus and reduced shrinkage versus a polymer fiber without SWNT. A polyacrylonitrile/SWNT fiber containing 10 wt % SWNT showed over 100% increase in tensile modulus and significantly reduced thermal shrinkage compared to a control fiber without SWNT. With 10 wt % SWNT, the glass transition temperature of the polymer increased by more than 40&#xb0; C.

Growing community of inventors

Atlanta, GA, United States of America

Satish Kumar