What are carbon nanotubes? Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are tubular cylinders of carbon atoms that have incredible mechanical, electrical, thermal, optical and chemical properties. They are stronger than any other material yet known to science. Nanotubes are only about four nanometers wide, ten thousand times thinner than a human hair. They have a pattern like rolled up chicken wire or a tube of hexagons. CNTs also are super strong yet elastic and, depending on how the atoms are arranged, they can be either insulators or conductors.
What is so special about carbon nanotubes? Carbon nanotubes are seven times lighter and two hundred times stronger than steel, making them the strongest material yet known to science. That alone is amazing, but the list keeps going. They are capable of one thousand times the current capacity, they are five times more electrically conductive, and are fifteen times more thermally conductive than copper. CNTs can also be used to store gases and for dissipating heat. They can be up to several millimeters long with a length to width ratio of 132,000,000:1, much more than any other material. They can be used as building materials, electrical wires. Having CNTs in other materials could make the materials stronger, lighter and even conductive. This could allow new for new inventions using the better materials and for scientist to create things that otherwise wouldn't be possible. Carbon nanotubes can be created and treated in different ways giving varying properties. This allows for choosing things like whether or not the CNTs are conductive, flexible and many other properties of the nanotubes. Another fascinating thing about carbon nanotubes is that they can be single or multi walled each with its own properties. With all of this variety carbon nanotubes could be used for many things.
What could carbon nanotubes be used for? With all these extraordinary properties Carbon nanotubes could be used in conthere are many uses for carbon nano- struction of almost anything from cars and tubes. One possible use that is being re- boats to skyscrapers and jumbo jets. They searched heavily is CNTs being used as elec- would be especially useful when making very trical wires. These wires have already out- small things such as microchips or precision performed copper and are lighter as well as tools. The use of CNTs in all of these things stronger. The wires have been used to create would make them stronger and lighter. That new, more efficient microchips. would make for more fuel efficient, safer veAnother use for CNTs is in medicine. hicles. Buildings could be built larger and Researchers from the State University of New sturdier. Carbon nanotubes could revolutionYork have discovered that carbon nanotubes ize the construction industry. are able to bond with biomolecules, such as One of most prominent possible appliproteins and DNA. This virtue of would al- cations of carbon nanotubes is in aerolow for better surgical procedures and im- space. They could be used to make aircraft plants. Currently the and spacecraft stronger, material being used in Carbon nanotubes could be lighter and safer for pimost surgical implants lots and passengers. This used in construction of is titanium, which would allow for astrobonds with nauts and pilots to do almost anything from cars bones. However this more difficult and strenbond is not strong and boats to skyscrapers uous task. CNTs could enough on its own, allow a mission to mars and jumbo jets. glue or screws are to be much more simusually used. Carbon ple. Planes would be nanotubes, however, are able to bond with much more efficient and could be built larger bone much more securely and do not require to carry more passengers per flight. other means of attachment.
Why aren't we already using carbon nanotubes? The main reason carbon nanotubes are not already being used heavily is that they are difficult to produce. The best method for production of CNTs currently being used can only produce a batch of a few kilograms. Although this method is scalable to an industrial size it is not cost-effective enough to be feasible. Another reason that CNTs are not being used by the public is health concerns. There have been studies to show that inhaling reasonable amounts of the nanotubes can cause asthma or bronchitis. There have been other “miracle materials� in the past, asbestos being one of the most deadly. Asbestos can cause a lung cancer, mesothelioma, that does not have symptoms for many years. Researchers are working to find out if carbon nanotubes have any long-term ill effects, they don’t want history to repeat itself.
What has already been accomplished with carbon nanotubes? With all the research being done there have been many advances in the science of CNTs. Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered how to combine carbon nanotubes with metal contacts to create tiny nanotube transistors. Transistors are semiconductors used to control electronic signals. These transistors are an important discovery because they are more efficient than silicon at very small sizes. Current silicon transistors cannot be scaled down nearly as small as nanotube transistors. These electronic components could be used to make computers faster, smaller and more efficient. Another possible application being researched for CNTs is incident radiation (the visible and invisible hitting an object) absorbing paint. This paint, called vantablack, this paint absorbs 99.965% of all incident radiation that hits it. Vantablack has many applications in stealth technology because of its ability to absorb not only visible light, but also infrared light, ultraviolet light, microwaves and radio waves. This CNT paint could also be used in optics to absorb light bouncing around the inside of the lens that would otherwise cloud the picture. Cameras and telescopes can both gain clarity from this paint being inside their lenses.
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