Zhiyong Liang

This invention provides a novel technique to enhance carbon nanotube dispersion and interfacial bonding in epoxy-based nanotube nanocomposites through in-situ polymerization. The in-situ polymerization reaction grafts peroxide groups onto the surfaces of nanotubes and the functionalized carbon nanotubes or nanofibers react with epoxy resin during nanocomposites fabrication. This in-situ polymerization can lead to high-exfoliation and uniform dispersion of carbon nanotubes or nanofibers in the epoxy polymer matrix during modification of nanotube surface characters. Furthermore the in-situ reaction produces covalent bond between nanotubes or nanofibers and the epoxy polymer matrix during composite fabrication through drafted peroxide groups to substantially improve load-transfer between nanotubes and resin. The significantly improved dispersion and interface bonding considerably increase the load-transfer and acquire high performance.

Applications:

• This invention has excellent potential for use in the mass production of high-performance nanotube and nanofiber reinforced epoxy composites for multifunctional applications, such as lightweight high-performance structural materials, electromagnetic interference, and thermal management materials, etc.
• Immediate applications include composite applications for aircraft, thermal management for electronic device package, etc. The yield rate using this method is almost I 00% and has the excellent potential for low cost mass production and scale-up.

The present invention provides a new material and its manufacturing process to create improved binder-free composite materials having a network of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and activated carbon (aC) particles in which one or more types of particles or fibers is embedded. The activated carbon particles are embedded in a network or matrix of single-walled or multiple-walled CNTs. The highly dispersed and entangled CNT network provides essential high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and durability which provides for the free-standing and binder-free characteristics. The high aspect ratio of the entangled CNTs allow for the incorporation of micron sized particles within the network structure. The absence of binders, which block surface pores and thus decrease usable surface area, allows for maximum adsorption of desired materials onto the carbon's highly microporous surface. The composite materials may be made by filtering suspensions containing carbon nanotubes, particles or fibers of interest, or both carbon nanotubes and particles or fibers of interest. The particles may be silicon particles, activated carbon particles, particles of a lithium compound, any other particles, or a combination thereof.

The produced sheets can have a multitude of uses where high surface area, low electrical resistivity, low mass density and the chemical or electrochemical properties of carbon are desired. These applications include but are not limited to: batteries, fuel cells and electrochemical capacitor electrodes, water purification systems (capacitive deionization electrode, membrane filtration), hydrogen storage materials, gas purification, etc.