Replacing silicon transistors in chips could also reduce energy consumption. MIT reports that the nanotubes could effectively replace silicon in microprocessors, allowing manufacturers to make much denser 3D chips with faster processing speeds. Reporting on recent research news, Science Daily notes that carbon could replace metals as the dominant materials in manufactured goods. In addition to strength and size, carbon nanotube applications also rely on the material’s unique electrical conductivity properties. Not only is the material strong, carbon nanotubes can stretch more than a million times the thickness of their walls and still retain strength, explains How Stuff W orks.Ĭarbon nanotubes offer strength and flexibility without bulk, so it’s not surprising that researchers are looking for ways to use it in aircraft and construction materials and electrical systems. Carbon nanotubes possess the highest strength-to-weight ratio on the planet, even though their walls are thinner than the width of your DNA. For reference, your fingernails grow about 1 nanometer per second. Size wise, these materials are on the nanoscale, with walls of only a nanometer thick or 1 billionth of a meter. They are also known as cylindrical buckyballs or fullerenes, the best-known example of which is the soccer ball-shaped buckminsterfullerene, notes Scientific American. Chemically, carbon nanotubes are similar to 2D sheets of graphene, according to Popular Mechanics. Sheets of linked atoms roll up to form either single-walled tubes or multiple-walled structures where the tubes nest inside each other. What Is a Carbon Nanotube?Ĭarbon atoms linked together create the structure and unique properties of a carbon nanotube. So, what is a carbon nanotube? This remarkable material known for its strength, low weight and electrical conductivity has both ordinary and extraordinary possibilities. Carbon nanotube applications go beyond military and aerospace use.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |