Mechanically Stiff, Electrically Conductive Composites of Polymers and Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Using SWNT-CA as scaffolds to fabricate stiff, highly conductive polymer (PDMS) composites. The SWNT-CA is immersing in a polymer resin to produce a SWNT-CA infiltrated with a polymer resin. The SWNT-CA infiltrated with a polymer resin is cured to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer.

1 . A method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nano tube aerogel and polymer, comprising the steps of:
 providing a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel,   immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin, and   curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 1  wherein said step of immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin includes placing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel immersed in a polymer resin under vacuum. 
     
     
         2 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 1  wherein said step of curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer comprises curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin at 60 or 150° C. 
     
     
         3 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel comprises providing SWNT-CA nanofoams with a SWNT loading of 55 wt % (1 vol %) and a monolith density of 28 mg cm −3 . 
     
     
         4 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 1  wherein said step of immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin comprises immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in polydimethylsiloxane resin. 
     
     
         5 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 4  wherein said step of curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin comprises curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polydimethylsiloxane resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 1  wherein said step of immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin comprises immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in epoxy polymer resin. 
     
     
         7 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 4  wherein said step of curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin comprises curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said epoxy polymer resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 1  wherein said step of immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin comprises immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in polydimethylsiloxane or epoxy resin. 
     
     
         9 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 4  wherein said step of curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin comprises curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polydimethylsiloxane or epoxy resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer. 
     
     
         10 . A method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer, comprising the steps of:
 dispersing nanotubes in an aqueous media or other media to form a suspension,   adding reactants and catalyst to said suspension to create a reaction mixture,   curing said reaction mixture to form a wet gel,   drying said wet gel to produce a dry gel,   pyrolyzing said dry gel to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel,   immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin, and   curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 10  wherein said step of immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin includes placing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel immersed in a polymer resin under vacuum. 
     
     
         12 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 10  wherein said step of curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer comprises curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin at 60 or 150° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method of making a stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer of  claim 10  wherein said step of providing a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel comprises providing SWNT-CA nanofoams with a SWNT loading of 55 wt % (1 vol %) and a monolith density of 28 mg cm −3 . 
     
     
         14 . A mechanically stiff, electrically conductive composite of polymer and carbon nanotubes comprising:
 a porous carbon material having 5 to 95% by weight carbon nanotubes and 5 to 95% carbon binder, and   a polymer infiltrated within said porous carbon material having 5 to 95% by weight carbon nanotubes and 5 to 95% carbon binder.   
     
     
         15 . The mechanically stiff, electrically conductive composite of polymer and carbon nanotubes of  claim 14  wherein said polymer infiltrated within said porous carbon material having 5 to 95% by weight carbon nanotubes and 5 to 95% carbon binder is polydimethylsiloxane or epoxy. 
     
     
         16 . A mechanically stiff, electrically conductive composite of polymers and carbon nanotubes comprising:
 a mechanically stiff, electrically conductive composite prepared by the method of   providing a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel,   immersing said single-walled carbon nanotube carbon aerogel in a polymer resin to produce a single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin, and   curing said single-walled carbon nanotubes carbon aerogel infiltrated with said polymer resin to produce the stiff and electrically conductive composite of carbon nanotube aerogel and polymer.