Hierarchical carbon nanotube forests and applications
Abstract
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Carbon nanotube (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Very different from other materials, CNTs show a great value for electronics, thermal conductivity, optics and other fields of science and technology. In particular, due to their extraordinary tensile strength and elastic modulus, carbon nanotubes have huge applications in various structural materials. My academic research is focus on creating a new CNT structure and test its mechanical properties. The secondary growth CNTs grown on the primary CNTs is the direction of the experiment research. CVD and ALD coating methods are used to produce the secondary growth CNT forest on two different substrates. In the analysis setups, SEM with EDS mapping and TEM indicate the secondary CNT structure. TGA and Raman Spectra are used to analyze the element, weight percent, and the functionalization of CNTs. Nano indentation calculates the mechanical properties of the secondary CNTs such as loading strain, unloading stiffness and the elastic potential energy. After the mechanical analysis and the microscopy observation, the secondary branched structure is successfully found and the functionalization, stiffness and the elastic energy of the CNT forests have enhanced after secondary growth. The single-walled and double-walled CNTs have also been found after secondary growth.
Degree
M.S.
Thesis Department
Rights
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