title: Clothing polymer fibers with well-aligned and high-aspect ratio carbon nanotubes.
abstract: It is believed that the crucial step towards preparation of electrical conductive polymer-carbon nanotube (CNT) composites is dispersing CNTs with a high length-to-diameter aspect ratio in a well-aligned manner. However, this process is extremely challenging when dealing with long and entangled CNTs. Here in this study, a new approach is demonstrated to fabricate conductive polymer-CNT composite fibers without involving any dispersion process. Well-aligned CNT films were firstly drawn from CNT arrays, and then directly coated on polycaprolactone fibers to form polymer-CNT composite fibers. The conductivity of these composite fibers can be as high as 285 S m(-1) with only 2.5 wt% CNT loading, and reach 1549 S m(-1) when CNT loading is 13.4 wt%. As-prepared composite fibers also exhibit 82% retention of conductivity at a strain of 7%, and have improved mechanical properties.
authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798.
authors: Gengzhi
authors: G
authors: Sun
authors: Lianxi
authors: L
authors: Zheng
authors: Jia
authors: J
authors: An
authors: Yongzheng
authors: Y
authors: Pan
authors: Jinyuan
authors: J
authors: Zhou
authors: Zhaoyao
authors: Z
authors: Zhan
authors: John H L
authors: JH
authors: Pang
authors: Chee Kai
authors: CK
authors: Chua
authors: Kah Fai
authors: KF
authors: Leong
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Li