Carbon nanotube ribbon remains sticky at extreme temperatures

[ad_1]

In very hot or cold environments, conventional tape may lose tackiness and leave an annoying residue. But while most people can avoid keeping items saved in a hot car or freezer, those who live in extreme environments such as deserts and Antarctica often can not avoid such conditions. Now the researchers reporting in the ACS journal Nano Letters declare that they have developed a new nanomaterial ribbon capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures.

In previous work, researchers explored the use of nanomaterials, such as vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-MWNT), to produce better adhesive tapes. Although VA-MWNTs are stronger than conventional high and low temperature tapes, the materials are relatively thick and large quantities can not be manufactured cheaply. Kai Liu, Li Xide, Wenhui Duan, Kaili Jiang and colleagues wondered if they could develop a new type of tape made up of super-aligned carbon nanotube films (SACNT). As their name indicates, SACNTs are nanotubes perfectly aligned parallel to each other, capable of forming ultra-thin but strong wires or films.

To make their tape, the researchers shot a film from inside a series of SACNTs, which is tantamount to pulling a strip of tape from a roll. The resulting double sided tape could adhere to surfaces through van der Waals interactions, which are weak electrical forces generated between two nearby atoms or molecules. The ultra-thin, ultra-light and flexible ribbon surpasses traditional adhesives at temperatures between -321 F and 1832 F. The researchers could remove the tape by peeling it, dipping it in acetone or burning it, leaving no visible residue. Tape adhered to many different materials such as metals, nonmetallic metals, plastics, and ceramics, but it adhered more strongly than rough surfaces, such as ordinary tape. SACNT tape can be manufactured in large quantities at a lower cost. In addition to working well in extreme environments, the new ribbon could be useful for electronic components that heat up during use, say the researchers.