Nanomaterials offer unique electrical properties, extraordinary strength and great efficiency in heat conduction. Application areas for nanomaterials include electronics, optics, medicine and architecture – offering tremendous potential for ground-breaking discovery.

The TCi is the optimal choice for researchers in the characterization of nanomaterials as the materials are expensive and time-consuming to produce in the development phase. With the TCi’s single-sided 17mm sensor researchers are not required to produce the larger volumes of sample material typical for traditional methods.

Case Highlight

Dispersion and Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube Composites

Recent work, performed by Florida State University and Texas Tech University, leveraged the TCi’s capabilities to help investigate different methods used to shorten carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for improved dispersion with maintained thermal conductivity. Single walled CNT’s were mechanically cut to produce short and open-ended fullerene pipes.  A seprate sample set was then acid-oxidized to shorten the CNTs.

Shortened nanotubes were found to improve dispersion into polymer matrices, and resulting in higher thermal conductivity.  

Mechanically chopped CNTs performed significantly better than acid oxidized samples, which resulted in degraded CNTs and an overall lower thermal conductivity of the resin composite.

 

Resources

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  Energy Efficient Thermal Storage Montmorillonite with PCM Exfoliated Graphite Nanoplatelets
  

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  Bio-based PCM/Carbon Nano Materials Composites with Enhanced Thermal Conductivity
  

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  TCi’s Application in the Thermal Conductivity Characterization of Nanomaterials
  

References

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