Full elastic constitutive relation of non-isotropic aligned-CNT/PDMS flexible nanocomposites.

The elastic response of vertically aligned-carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (A-CNT/PDMS) nanocomposites is presented in this study and related to the underlying aligned-CNT morphology. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at 1% Vf are embedded in a flexible substrate of PDMS to create a flexible polymer nanocomposite (PNC). The PNC properties are evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile mechanical tests, and the full linearly elastic constitutive relation is established for such a PNC. The results suggest that the CNTs retain the alignment after wetting and curing of PDMS. PDMS is significantly modified by the reinforcing aligned-CNT fibers, demonstrating non-isotropic (as opposed to the isotropic neat PDMS) elastic properties all different from PDMS (Young's modulus of 0.8 MPa), including an anisotropy ratio of 4.8 and increases in the modulus of A-CNT/PDMS over PDMS by more than 900% and 100%, in the CNT longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. This study reports the first full constitutive relation that may be useful in modeling PNCs as composites or as elements of hierarchical nanoengineered composites, particularly PDMS-CNT PNCs are envisioned as elements in biomedical devices such as pressure transducers and energy harvesters.

Flexible sensor for blood pressure measurement.

A new approach for the design and fabrication of a highly flexible blood pressure sensor is introduced in this paper. The goal is to measure the pressure within an aneurysm sac for post-endovascular aneurysms repair (EVAR) surveillance. Biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes with embedded aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used to build the conductive elements of the pressure sensitive capacitor and the inductor for telemetry. Inductive coupling will be used to measure the internal capacitive variations. Fabricated test sensors validate the approach and demonstrate that CNTs/PDMS technology can be used to build highly flexible pressure sensors.

High-yield growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on a continuously moving substrate.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays are grown on a moving substrate, demonstrating continuous growth of nanoscale materials with long-range order. A cold-wall chamber with an oscillating moving platform is used to locally heat a silicon growth substrate coated with an Fe/Al2O3 catalyst film for CNT growth via chemical vapor deposition. The reactant gases are introduced over the substrate through a directed nozzle to attain high-yield CNT growth. Aligned multi-wall carbon nanotube arrays (or 'forests') with heights of approximately 1 mm are achieved at substrate speeds up to 2.4 mm s(-1). Arrays grown on moving substrates at different velocities are studied in order to identify potential physical limitations of repeatable and fast growth on a continuous basis. No significant differences are noted between static and moving growth as characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, although overall growth height is marginally reduced at the highest substrate velocity. CNT arrays produced on moving substrates are also found to be comparable to those produced through well-characterized batch processes consistent with a base-growth mechanism. Growth parameters required for the moving furnace are found to differ only slightly from those used in a comparable batch process; thermal uniformity appears to be the critical parameter for achieving large-area uniform array growth. If the continuous-growth technology is combined with a reaction zone isolation scheme common in other types of processing (e.g., in the manufacture of carbon fibers), large-scale dense and aligned CNT arrays may be efficiently grown and harvested for numerous applications including providing interlayers for advanced composite reinforcement and improved electrical and thermal transport.