Carbon Nanotube Based Fibers

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess superb mechanical and physical properties, and thus have been considered as ideal building blocks in constructing high-performance and multifunctional fibers and composites. During the last decade, tremendous effort has been made by researchers worldwide in developing CNT based continuous fiber, which has become a unique new member of carbon fiber family. In a CNT fiber, discrete CNTs are well-aligned in the fiber longitudinal direction and densely packed in the radial direction, both of which greatly facilitate interactions among adjacent CNTs, and give rise to high-performance of CNT fibers. Unlike carbon and other advanced fibers, CNT fiber research and development are still in their infancy. In this chapter, the state-of-the-art of CNT fibers is presented. Specifically, it is intended to summarize in details processing of CNTs fibers, experimental characterization and theoretical analysis of hierarchical structures/properties of CNT fibers, as well as their applications. Finally, the prospect of CNT fiber development will be examined.