Researchers from IMDEA Materials Institute have published groundbreaking work demonstrating, for the first time, the ability to recycle high-performance carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets while preserving their shape, structural alignment, mechanical and electrical properties, and intrinsic flexibility.
The paper, 'Network structure enabling re-use and near full property retention in CNT sheets recycled from thermoset composites', was recently published in a special issue of prestigious journal Carbon.
It represents a significant advance in the field of sustainable nanostructured materials and in the viability of fibres, sheets, and textiles made of carbon nanotubes to play a key role in the future green energy transition.
Dr. Anastasiia Mikhalchan, Senior Research Associate at IMDEA Materials and Co-PI of the project, explained: "This research represents a crucial step towards manufacturing and usage of sustainable and recyclable CNT fibres and sheets. These will be able to displace widespread CO2-intensive materials, such as conventional carbon fibres and some metals like copper, decreasing our future CO2 emissions footprint."
"Our work demonstrates that high-performance materials made from carbon nanotubes are recyclable and can be reused in the same application as structural reinforcement or electrical conductors. This is due to the fact that neither their continuity, alignment and mechanical properties nor their conductivity is affected by recycling. This is the first attempt in this direction, addressing a critical need in the society," she added.
The work utilizes carbon nanotubes rapidly grown and directly assembled into freestanding network materials by means of floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition (FCCVD) synthesis process. IMDEA Materials Institute is one of the world leaders in the field and is currently the only research centre in the European Union capable of synthesising high-quality nanotube macromaterials.
This pioneering work is supported by the Rice University-led Carbon Hub Initiative. IMDEA Materials' Multifunctional Nanocomposite research group, led by Dr Juan J. Vilatela, is an active member of the initiative.
Source: IMDEA
