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Elevate Your Products with the Strength and Flexibility of Carbon Nanotube Yarns
Introduction
In the realm of advanced materials, the pursuit of excellence is driven by a need for stronger, lighter, and more adaptable solutions. Imagine integrating a material into your products that not only meets these demands but also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. Our innovation, incorporating carbon nanotube yarns into composite materials, offers precisely that—unparalleled strength, flexibility, and versatility for a wide range of applications.
Why This Matters
- Unmatched Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Carbon nanotubes are known for their extraordinary strength and lightweight properties. By weaving these nanotubes into yarns and embedding them into composites, we create materials that are incredibly strong yet remain remarkably light. This makes them ideal for industries like aerospace and automotive, where reducing weight without sacrificing strength is crucial.
- Enhanced Flexibility and Durability: Unlike traditional composites, which can be rigid and prone to failure under stress, our carbon nanotube-enhanced materials are designed to bend and flex without losing their structural integrity. This flexibility opens up new possibilities for applications in sports equipment, construction, and even wearable electronics, where durability under dynamic conditions is key.
- Versatile Applications Across Industries: Whether you’re developing the next generation of lightweight aircraft components, designing high-performance sports gear, or creating cutting-edge electronic devices, this technology offers a competitive edge. The integration of carbon nanotube yarns into your products can significantly enhance their performance, making them stand out in a crowded market.
Why License This Technology?
By licensing this patent, you’re not just adopting a new material—you’re gaining access to a transformative technology that can elevate your products to new levels of performance and innovation. This composite material, with its unique combination of strength, flexibility, and lightweight properties, offers a distinct advantage in industries where excellence is the standard.
The Opportunity
In a world where the demands on materials are ever-increasing, don’t just keep up—lead the charge. License this groundbreaking technology today and set your products apart with the unparalleled benefits of carbon nanotube yarns. The future of advanced materials is here, and it’s woven with the fibers of innovation.
Methods of forming composite materials, which may include filament winding two or more carbon nanotube yarns to form one or more material layers, contacting the yarns with a resin, and applying one or more stretching forces to the material layers. Composite materials also are provided.
The invention claimed is:
1. A method of forming a composite material, the method comprising:
providing two or more carbon nanotube yarns;
filament winding the two or more carbon nanotube yarns to form a first material layer comprising the two or more carbon nanotube yarns;
contacting the two or more carbon nanotube yarns with a resin during at least a portion of the filament winding;
applying a first stretching force to the first material layer to form a stretched first material layer, wherein the first stretching force is effective to extend a length of the first material layer by about 2% to about 3%;
removing the first stretching force from the stretched first material layer;
applying a second stretching force to the stretched first material layer to form an aligned first material layer, wherein the second stretching force is effective to extend a length of the stretched first material layer by about 2% to about 3%;
removing the second stretching force from the aligned first material layer; and
applying a third stretching force to the aligned first material layer, wherein the third stretching force is effective to extend a length of the aligned first material layer by about 0.1% to about 3%; and
curing the resin at least partially while the third stretching force is applied to the aligned first material layer to form the composite material.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising filament winding the two or more carbon nanotube yarns to form a second material layer comprising the two or more carbon nanotube yarns, wherein the second material layer is arranged on and in contact with the first material layer.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filament winding comprises winding the two or more carbon nanotube yarns about a stretching tool with the aid of an automatic filament winder.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting of the two or more carbon nanotube yarns with the resin at least partially penetrates the two or more carbon nanotube yarns with the resin.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the resin comprises a bismaleimide.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stretching force is applied (i) to the first material layer for about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes, and/or (ii) while the first material layer is exposed to a temperature of about 50° C. to about 90° C.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second stretching force is applied (i) to the stretched first material layer for about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes, and/or (ii) while the stretched first material layer is exposed to a temperature of about 50° C. to about 90° C.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing of the first stretching force from the stretched first material layer comprises removing the first stretching force for about 1 minute to about 3 minutes.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more carbon nanotube yarns comprise spun carbon nanotube yarns.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more carbon nanotube yarns comprise unspun carbon nanotube yarns.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising oxidizing a surface of the two or more carbon nanotube yarns by plasma oxidation prior to the filament winding.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising functionalizing the two or more carbon nanotube yarns by chemical functionalization prior to the filament winding.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the functionalizing comprises contacting the two or more carbon nanotube yarns with an acid.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
annealing the two or more carbon nanotube yarns; and
contacting the two or more carbon nanotube yarns with an acid prior to the filament winding.
15. A method of forming a composite material, the method comprising:
providing two or more carbon nanotube yarns;
filament winding the two or more carbon nanotube yarns to form a first material layer comprising the two or more carbon nanotube yarns;
contacting the two or more carbon nanotube yarns with a resin during at least a portion of the filament winding;
applying a first stretching force to the first material layer for about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes to form a stretched first material layer, wherein the first stretching force is effective to extend a length of the first material layer by about 2% to about 3%, and the first stretching force is applied while the first material layer is exposed to a temperature of about 50° C. to about 90° C.;
removing the first stretching force from the stretched first material layer for about 1 minute to about 3 minutes;
applying a second stretching force to the stretched first material layer for about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes to form an aligned first material layer, wherein the second stretching force is effective to extend a length of the stretched first material layer by about 2% to about 3%, and the second stretching force is applied while the stretched first material layer is exposed to a temperature of about 50° C. to about 90° C.;
removing the second stretching force from the aligned first material layer; and
applying a third stretching force to the aligned first material layer, and curing the resin while the third stretching force is applied to the aligned first material layer to form the composite material, wherein the third stretching force is effective to extend a length of the aligned first material layer by about 0.1% to about 3%.
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Title
Composite materials including carbon nanotube yarns and methods
Inventor(s)
Zhiyong Liang, Gerald Horne, Ayou Hao, Claire Jolowsky
Assignee(s)
Florida State University Research Foundation Inc
Patent #
10967587
Patent Date
April 6, 2021