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The mechanical and electrical properties of direct-spun carbon nanotube mats

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Abstract

The mechanical and electrical properties of a direct-spun carbon nanotube mat are measured. The mat comprises an interlinked random network of nanotube bundles, with approximately 40 nanotubes in a bundle. A small degree of in-plane anisotropy is observed. The bundles occasionally branch, and the mesh topology resembles a 2D lattice of nodal connectivity slightly below 4. The macroscopic in-plane tensile response is elasto-plastic in nature, with significant orientation hardening. In-situ microscopy reveals that the nanotube bundles do not slide past each other at their junctions under macroscopic stain. A micromechanical model is developed to relate the macroscopic modulus and flow strength to the longitudinal shear response of the nanotube bundles. The mechanical and electrical properties of the mat are compared with those of other nanotube arrangements over a wide range of density.

Description

Keywords

Carbon nanotube mat, Mechanical properties, In-situ testing, Nanotube bundles

Journal Title

Extreme Mechanics Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2352-4316
2352-4316

Volume Title

21

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
EPSRC (EP/M015211/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/M015211/1)