Download Carbon Nanotubes - Ms Perry Chemistry Uploads

Created by Theresa Lincheck
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Carbon is the 6th most abundant element in the
universe and is estimated to be involved in
some way in almost 95% of known compounds
Carbon is capable of bonding with up to 4
other atoms at a time, including other carbon
atoms making it a very unique element
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Carbon can form substances with completely
different properties based solely on its
crystalline structure
Ex: Graphite-one of the softest natural
materials known vs. Diamond-one of the
hardest natural materials known
Graphite-a really soft carbon-based
material formed from carbon
bonded in flat sheets
Diamond-a really hard carbonbased material formed from
carbon bonded in pyramid-like
structures
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We know that carbon can form into different
materials based on its lattice structure
including graphite and diamond, but carbon
atoms can also be arranged to form another
material, called carbon nanotubes (CNTs)…
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Carbon nanotubes-carbon atoms bonded
together, arranged in tubular cylinders
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Carbon nanotubes contain extraordinary mechanical,
electrical, thermal, optical, and chemical properties
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Carbon nanotubes exhibit amazing strength
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An individual carbon nanotube can exhibit 200x the
strength and 5x the elasticity of steel
It can contain 5x the electrical conductivity, 15x the
thermal conductivity, and 1,000x the current capacity
of copper
Graph taken from
http://www.nasa.gov/visi
on/space/gettingtospace/1
6sep_rightstuff.html
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Carbon nanotubes typically have diameters
ranging from 1 nm to 50 nm
Individual nanotubes are normally so small as
to be a couple ten-thousandths the thickness of
a human hair
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Carbon nanotubes have many possible
structural variations, including differences in
length, thickness, type of helicity, and number
of layers
Although they are formed from the same
materials in the same type of lattice structure,
their electrical characteristics can change
depending on these variations, acting as either
metals or as semiconductors
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There are two main types of carbon nanotubes;
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Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs)
Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs)
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The global demand for carbon nanotubes is
constantly increasing for production of
stronger products, causing their production to
skyrocket in recent years.
When carbon nanotubes are created, they are
usually formed in ‘forests’ or ‘arrays’ on a plate
that’s been exposed to extremely high temps
for a couple of hours.
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CNT’s are often produced
in labs for testing. Their
creation usually invloves;
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A small silicon plate
coated with iron particles
A special mix of gases
containing carbon atoms
such as acetylene
A special oven that can
produce heat at over 800°
C; it heats the silicon plate
and mixture of gases,
causing a reaction and the
formation of CNTs
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The silicon plate is usually removed from the
oven after a couple of hours, and a small
‘forest’ of carbon nanotubes is present on it
On one small, inch-long plate over 1 billion
CNT’s are usually present in a newly created
forest
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After a forest of CNT’s are formed, they are
usually ‘spun’ into a long thin thread
Its spun by pulling out one CNT from the
forest, and then the others follow to form a
CNT ribbon or thread
This picture shows a
forest of carbon
nanotubes being pulled
into a thread
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In carbon nanotube forests, the nanotubes like to stick together
due to strong Van Der Waals forces that are present at the
nanoscale
When a CNT is pulled out, the Van Der Waals forces causes the
surrounding CNT’s to be ‘snagged’ with it, which is why the
CNT’s seem to be pulled out forever when pulling from a CNT
forest and why it forms an extremely long ongoing thread
The resulting CNT threads are usually 1/1000th the thickness of
human hair and stronger than steel
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Because of their enhanced properties, CNTs have a
surprisingly large amount of possible real-world
applications, especially in improving efficiency and
strength of current technology
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Ex 1: due to its electrical conductivity, carbon nanotubes can be
used to improve the efficiency of electrically run technology
and save energy and resources
 Ex: Carbon nanotubes can possibly help in improving battery life of lithium
batteries
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Ex 2: The high strength and elasticity of CNT’s can be very
useful for probe tips on very high-resolution scanning probe
microscopy
Ex 2: This above diagram shows the possible advantages of using
carbon nanotubes in technology by comparing a probe’s capabilities
with and without an added CNT tip.
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CNT’s thermal conductivity abilities is being taken
advantage of to try and create better nanoscale
electronics, sensing and actuating devices, and
reinforcing fibers in functional composite materials
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Ex 3: If CNT’s can conduct electricity and heat in subzero
temperatures, they can help to improve electronics working
capabilities in extreme cold
CNT’s strength and size capabilities can be taken
advantage of to improve health and consumer
products
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Ex 4: CNT based water and air filtration systems have already
been produced by companies which can block some of the
smallest particles and possibly kill bacteria as well, which can
help better health conditions of homes and living spaces
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As far as scientist know about CNTs currently, CNTs
have almost no environmental or physical degradation
issues, like that of which are common to metals
This includes thermal expansion/contraction, corrosion and
sensitivity to radiation; all of these factors which can result in greater
system failure in performance-sensitive applications in areas like
aerospace and defense, aviation, automotive, energy, and consumer
products
 By using carbon nanotubes in place of metals and other materials,
there is a very good chance that all of these factors above can be
lessened
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Carbon atoms are very special atoms that can form
multiple different materials with unique and very
beneficial properties, including carbon nanotubes
CNT’s have many amazing properties, including their
high strength, high conductivity, and extremely small
size
CNT’s are easy to produce and very strong in forces,
despite their nanoscale size
Carbon nanotubes have an ever-increasing window of
real-world applications that can help to increase
human technology and efficiency, and they are also
more environmentally friendly as of current
knowledge
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http://www.livescience.com/28698-facts-aboutcarbon.html
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-carbon-nanotubes-realworld-applications.html
http://cheaptubes.com/cntapplications.htm
http://www.nanocyl.com/jp/CNT-ExpertiseCentre/Carbon-Nanotubes
http://www.nanocomptech.com/what-are-carbonnanotubes
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology2.htm
http://www.understandingnano.com/nanotubescarbon.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19nzPt62UPg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QqR8UcoJ-c
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“Discover what carbon nanotubes are and how
they work, what its origins are, how to make a
nanotube, and what they can be possibly used
for today! Throughout this short powerpoint,
you will gain a basic understanding and
background of carbon nanotubes and all of the
cool little things that makes a carbon nanotube
a carbon nanotube!”