title: Trade-off between the Mechanical Strength and Microwave Electrical Properties of Functionalized and Irradiated Carbon Nanotube Sheets.
abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets represent a novel implementation of CNTs that enable the tailoring of electrical and mechanical properties for applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. Small molecule functionalization and postprocessing techniques, such as irradiation with high-energy particles, are methods that can enhance the mechanical properties of CNTs. However, the effect that these modifications have on the electrical conduction mechanisms has not been extensively explored. By characterizing the mechanical and electrical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) sheets with different functional groups and irradiation doses, we can expand our insights into the extent of the trade-off that exists between mechanical strength and electrical conductivity for commercially available CNT sheets. Such insights allow for the optimization of design pathways for engineering applications that require a balance of material property enhancements.
authors.affiliation: NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field , Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United States.
authors.forename: Tiffany S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Materials Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.|Communications Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States.
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Orloff
authors.affiliation: NASA Postdoctoral Program, NASA Glenn Research Center , Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United States.
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field , Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United States.
authors.forename: Sandi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.
authors.forename: Bharath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Natarajan
authors.affiliation: Materials Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Obrzut
authors.affiliation: Ohio Aerospace Institute , Cleveland, Ohio 44142, United States.
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: McCorkle
authors.affiliation: NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field , Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United States.
authors.forename: Marisabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebron-Colón
authors.affiliation: NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field , Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United States.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaier
authors.affiliation: NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field , Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United States.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Meador
authors.affiliation: Communications Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States.
authors.forename: J Alexander
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Liddle
keywords: carbon nanotube sheets; chemical functionalization; electrical conductivity; electron beam irradiation; microwave spectroscopy; multiwalled carbon nanotubes; tensile strength