Ultrastrong, Stiff and Multifunctional Carbon Nanotube Composites

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an order of magnitude stronger than any current engineering fiber. However, for the past two decades it has been a challenge to utilize their reinforcement potential in composites. Here we report CNT composites with unprecedented multifunctionalities, including record high strength (3.8 GPa), Young’s modulus (293 GPa), electrical conductivity (1230 S cm-1) and thermal conductivity (41 W m-1 K-1). These superior properties are derived from the long length, high volume fraction, good alignment and reduced waviness of the CNTs, which were produced by a novel processing approach that can be easily scaled up for industrial production.