Focused ion beam milling of carbon nanotube yarns to study the relationship between structure and strength

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 48; no. 15; pp. 4450 - 4456
• Main Authors: Sears, Kallista, Skourtis, Chris, Atkinson, Ken, Finn, Niall, Humphries, William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Densification; Density; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Ion beams; Materials science; Physics; Solvents; Specific materials; Strength; Tensile strength; Yarns; Densification; Internal structure; Carbon nanotubes; Ions; Structure; Density; Diameter; Sheath
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2010.08.004

The effect of twist and solvent densification on the internal structure of carbon nanotube yarns was revealed using focused ion beam milling and related to yarn strength through tensile testing. Denser carbon nanotube yarns with smaller diameters were produced either through solvent densification or with increasing twist densities from 5 to ∼15 turns/mm, but led to only minor improvement in yarn tenacity. At twist densities greater than ∼15 turns/mm, a core-sheath structure developed and was correlated with a decline in strength. The implications of bonding between the nanotubes in the twisted yarn are briefly considered. These results have implications for the future development of high strength carbon nanotube yarn.