Advantages of Carbon Nanotubes

(Advantages of Carbon Nanotubes)

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) are an important new class of nanomaterial that has attracted a lot of attention due to its unique properties. CNTs, also known as buckytubes, are allotropes of carbon that have a remarkable array of electrical, thermal and structural characteristics.

For example, the rigidity of the carbon bond provides a tremendous amount of mechanical strength for these tubes. This allows them to absorb and transmit vibrations much more effectively than metals, making them great insulators of heat. This feature makes them excellent candidates for use in electrical and heat shielding composites.

They can also be made very thin and wide, giving them superb flexibility and excellent durability – an important factor for applications where the ability to conform to curves and shapes is critical. CNTs are also extremely lightweight, meaning that they can help to create more compact, lighter weight composite structures than would otherwise be possible.

Another advantage of CNTs is that they can carry very high current densities without damage, even at elevated temperatures. This eliminates the electromigration reliability concerns that plague copper interconnects in electronic chips.

CNTs can be combined with other molecules through strong covalent bonds, which produce very stable compounds. This contrasts with weak non-covalent forces, which typically yield kinetically unstable compounds.

Eikos Inc of Franklin, MA and Unidym Inc of Silicon Valley, CA are both developing transparent, electrically conductive films of carbon nanotubes that could be used to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) in flat panel displays. These films are significantly more mechanically robust than ITO, making them ideal for touchscreens and flexible displays.

(Advantages of Carbon Nanotubes)