Carbon Nanotube Films Stronger Than Kevlar (acs.org) 39
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.
Space elevator (Score:5, Funny)
Yah! We can start talking about space elevator again!
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Actually, no. GPa is a unit of *pressure* -- i.e. the force that can be carried in tension per unit of area. It applies to a material in general, not to a shape or particular amount of a material.
The material they created is not a single nanotube (or 15), it's uncountably many of them spun/squashed into a sheet, with a 9.6 GPa maximum tensile stress (i.e. pressure).
An exponential geometry makes it possible actually (Score:1)
This is an amazing published paper on the feasibility of a space elevator.
http://keithcu.com/wiki/images... [keithcu.com]
The big take-aways:
* Decreasing the x-sectional surface area by an exponential function as altitude decreases theoretically allows any material to be used, though the volumes required would be prohibitive for any but the strongest materials, and too steep an exponential function makes the geometries also not practically possible
* A yield strength of 46.5 GPa only requires a max-to-min cross-sectional a
No thanks (Score:5, Funny)
I'm not buying into obsolete technology. I'll wait and see what Graphene can do.
Re:No thanks (Score:4, Funny)
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.
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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 (Score:5, Funny)
Yes well, you'll be asking for carbon free diamonds next I suppose.
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Forget the carbon, I'll take the free diamonds.
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what's whoosh made out of?
Graphene and fairy dust.
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Here we go with the graphene shit again.
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If somebody starts to shit graphene, they'll be rich. If it's survivable.
Biological Activity (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
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$Compiler Message - Warning: unbalanced parenthesis line 9
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Phthalate refers to a group of chemical forms consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. No metal.
Carbon nanotubes are a wonder. (Score:1)
Is there anything they can't do?
Other than make it to commercial production that is.
"annoyed grunt" (Score:2)
Give them an award! (Score:2)
Don't buy the generic carbon nanotube film (Score:3)
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.