Fabrication and Characterization of In-Plane Aligned Nanotube Composites with Magnetically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Bucky Papers

摘要

Controlled alignment of single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) is critical for developing high-performance structural and multifunctional nanocomposites. In this study, a new technical approach was developed by the authors to prepare bulk polymeric composites containing in-plane aligned nanotubes. Aligned nanotube bucky papers with a thickness of 15-30 μm were produced by filtrating well-dispersed SWNT suspensions under high magnetic fields (15-25 Tesla). The area of the fabricated aligned bucky papers can be as large at 387 cm~2, and the bucky papers have good strength and flexibility for handling during composite process.