Carbon nanotubes, submicroscopic particles that have been on the cutting edge of technology for the past 20 years, are still far from old news. Everyday universities and research centers across the globe are discovering new methods to produce and utilize carbon nanotubes. From some of the more popular uses, such as reinforcing body armor to creating synthetic muscles carbon nanotubes in many ways are a sort of all-purpose enhancer that are very likely to grow more and more common in the near future. Carbon nanotubes are relatively new materials which have some very interesting and useful properties which have virtually boundless applications.
Carbon nanotubes are hollow cylinders that consist of one or more layers of graphene with open or closed ends. The most desirable carbon nanotubes are constructed strictly from hexagonal lattice structures, with the exception to their ends which require pentagons (Volder, 535).
These molecules were first discovered in 1991 by Sumio Iijima, a Japanese physicist. At the time they were called “Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon” and, thankfully, have since gone through a name change. Now, they are simply called carbon nanotubes or “buckytubes” named after the architect Buckminster Fuller who created futuristic domes in the 1930s which resembled the structure of the carbons in these tubes. However, the name was the least of the changes that were to come.
Later, scientists would discover that there were many more forms of carbon nanotubes. The first to be discovered were multi-walled, abbreviated ‘MWNT’, which is to say they had more than one layer of graphene surrounding them. It wasn’t until 1993 that the single-walled carbon nanotube, abbreviated ‘SWNT’, was discovered (Tománek). ...
... middle of paper ...
...cations. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 25 Apr. 2014 .
Ryan, Clare. "Chemistry Resolves Toxic Concerns About Carbon Nanotubes." UCL. 15 Jan. 2013. University College London. 25 Apr. 2014 .
Shipman, Matt, and Yuntian Zhu. "New Techniques Stretch Carbon Nanotubes, Make Stronger Composites." NC State News. 15 Oct. 2012. North Carolina State University. 25 Apr. 2014 .
Tománek, David. The Nanotube Site. Apr. 2013. Michigan State University. 25 Apr. 2014 .
Volder, M. F. L. De, S. H. Tawfick, R. H. Baughman, and A. J. Hart. "Carbon Nanotubes: Present and Future Commercial Applications." Science 339 (2013): 535-39
Carbon is one of the 115 chemical elements discovered on Earth which is part of the nonmetals group with other elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. Carbon as an element has good stability, it is very light, very stable, and has many types of forms such as graphite, and coal. Carbon fiber is just another form of carbon, basically has filaments between five to ten micrometers in diameter of pure carbon or at least 90% of carbon. Thousand carbon fibers are twisted together to form a long chain, which can then be used in a variety of raw forms, including yarns, weaves, and braids, which are in turn mixed with synthetic resins to create the carbon fiber as a composite material. Based on different characteristics carbon fibers can be divided into three principals groups: according to carbon fiber tensile modulus, according to precursor fiber materials, and according to final heat
Retrieved 2013, from http://www.prisonplanet.com: http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2007/210207designers.htm Ryan, K. (2013). The 'Standard'. the explosive nature of nanomime. Retrieved 2013, from http://digwithin.net/: http://digwithin.net/2011/06/19/the-explosive-nature-of-nanothermite/ Weekly, P. (2013).
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. (2013). SETAC/Rachel Carson Award - Society of environmental toxicology and chemistry. Retrieved from Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: http://www.setac.org/?SETACAwardSRachel
It is clear that nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize health care and even transport
Carbon Nanotubes could make t-shirts bulletproof. Retrieved March 11, 2014, from Nano Werk: http://nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotids1054.php. Fecht, S. (n.d.). Lighter, stronger bulletproof clothing. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from Popular Mechanics: http://popularmechanics.com/science/health/med-tech/6spidersilksuperpowers.htm.
Toxicology." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Student Resources in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
the discovery of carbon nanotubes, the strongest material known to man, a possible solution has been found.
Staudt, Maureen, and Michael Stranz, eds. General Chemistry for Engineering and Science II. Mason,Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
Graphene refers to a single layer of graphite, with sp2 hybridized carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal...
Carbon fibers were discovered in the late 1800s by Thomas Edison. The early lightbulbs Edison created used the carbon fibers as filaments. These carbon fibers used to create the early lightbulbs had a substantial tolerance to heat, but they lacked the tensile strength of modern carbon fibers. Edison used cellulose-based materials, such as cotton or bamboo, to make his carbon fibers. He used a method called “pyrolysis” to cook the bamboo at high temperatures in a controlled atmosphere to carbonize bamboo filaments, making them fire-resistant and capable of enduring intense heat needed for luminescence.
Cellulose is an abundant polysaccharide consisting of a β-1, 4 linkage of D-glucose [1,3]. There is an array of applications for cellulose, including, but not limited to: biofuels, reinforcement agents, thickeners, dietary fiber, and even wound care. As of late, cellulose, as a waste product, has been in high demand as a reinforcement agent in synthetic, petroleum-based polymer matrices (petroleum based plastics) [3]. Cellulose I has good flexibility, it is abundant in nature and also biodegradable. Because of its fiber- like structure, it has been compared to carbon nanotubes (CNT’s) [3].
Poliakoff, M., Fitzpatrick, J. M., Farren, T. R., & Anastas, P. T. (2002). "Green Chemistry: Science and Politics of Change." Science, 297, 807-810.
American Chemical Society. "Carbon nanotubes twice as strong as once thought." ScienceDaily, 16 Sep. 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
I have chosen nanotechnology as my topic area of choice from the food innovation module.
Graphite is another form of carbon. It occurs as a mineral in nature, but it can be made artificially from amorphous carbon. One of the main uses for graphite is for its lubricating qualities. Another is for the "lead" in pencils. Graphite is used as a heat resistant material and an electricity conductor. It is also used in nuclear reactors as a lubricator (Kinoshita 119-127).