Carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes can be self-aligned by making composites of carbon nanotube powders with particles and organic and/or inorganic carriers such as water or other solvents. After the mixture is applied onto a substrate by whatever ways, such as brushing, screen-printing, ink-jet printing, spraying, dispersing, spin-coating, dipping, and the like and combinations, a fragmentation process occurs when the composite material is dried or cured by certain ways to eliminate some or all of the carrier material. This results in microcracks forming between the fragments. CNT fibers that are bonded or set in the fragments on either side of a crack are aligned in the crack area, either by stretching the fibers or by allowing the fibers to spool out from one or both fragments.

1 . A composition comprising carbon nanotubes and an inorganic adhesive material.  
     
     
         2 . The composition as recited in  claim 1 , wherein some of the carbon nanotubes are exposed within microcracks formed in the composition.  
     
     
         3 . The composition as recited in  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the exposed carbon nanotubes bridges across the microcrack.  
     
     
         4 . The composition as recited in  claim 2 , wherein at least one carbon nanotube exposed within the microcrack is broken in two.