Charge transport in melt-dispersed carbon nanotubes.

We investigate the effect of interfacial stabilizer on charge transport in polymer-dispersed carbon nanotubes. Despite mechanical contact, samples with dispersant show poor conductivity, which we attribute to a robust interfacial layer between contacted nanotubes. In comparison, results obtained when nanotubes are mechanically mixed into polymer melts without dispersant show much better conductivity. The difference is striking; at comparable loading, neat melt composites have resistivities five orders of magnitude smaller than those containing interfacial stabilizer. Our results highlight a fundamental issue for the engineering of conducting carbon nanotube composites; dispersion stability will typically be achieved at the expense of conductivity.

Rheo-optical studies of carbon nanotube suspensions.

We use a polarization-modulation technique to investigate the optical anisotropy of multi- and single-wall carbon nanotubes suspended in a variety of solvents under simple shear flow. Measurements of birefringence and dichroism are performed as a function of shear rate, tube concentration, and solvent viscosity. At fixed volume fraction, the anisotropy increases with increasing shear stress due to enhanced flow alignment. At fixed shear stress, the anisotropy increases with volume fraction due to rotational excluded-volume interactions. By considering the rotational diffusivity as a function of nanotube length, diameter, concentration, and solvent viscosity, we demonstrate a leading-order scaling relation for the optical anisotropy in terms of rotary Peclet number Pe. At low Pe, our results are in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions of Doi and Edwards. At high Pe, our data suggest that the degree of nanotube alignment scales as Pe16.

Anisotropy of sheared carbon-nanotube suspensions.

We measure the anisotropy of sheared carbon-nanotube suspensions for a broad range of concentration, aspect ratio, and strain rate using a variety of methods. Our measurements highlight the importance of excluded-volume interactions in the semidilute regime, with scaling in terms of a dimensionless shear rate. Our results also suggest that such interactions might be exploited to fractionate carbon nanotubes by length in simple shear flow.

Elastic flow instability in nanotube suspensions.

We report an elastic instability associated with flow-induced clustering in semidilute non-Brownian colloidal nanotubes. Rheo-optical measurements are compared with simulations of mechanical flocculation in sheared fiber suspensions, and the evolving structure is characterized as a function of confinement and shear stress. The transient rheology is correlated with the evolution of highly elastic vorticity-aligned aggregates, with the underlying instability being somewhat ubiquitous in complex fluids.

Enhanced mechanical properties of polyacrylonitrile/multiwall carbon nanotube composite fibers.

The use of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as a reinforcing phase in a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber matrix was investigated with the goal of producing a PAN-derived carbon/MWNT composite fiber with enhanced physical properties. MWNTs were dispersed in a PAN/DMAc (dimethylacetamide) solution and spun into composite fibers containing up to 5 wt.% MWNTs, with the use of a lab-scale dry-jet wet spinline. The spinning process resulted in alignment of the MWNTs parallel with the fiber axis. Three types of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-derived, high-purity MWNTs were used: as produced, graphitized (heat treated to 2800 degrees C), and NaCN-treated (chemically treated to attach CN groups to the nanotube surface). Tensile tests were performed to measure yield stress/strain, initial modulus, break stress/strain, and energy to yield and energy to break. Significant mechanical property increases were recorded for the composite fibers compared with the control samples with no MWNT reinforcement: break strength +31%, initial modulus +36%, yield strength +46%, energy to yield +80%, and energy to break +83%.

Determination of the respiration kinetics for mycelial pellets of Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

In mycelial pellet cultures of the white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium, low oxygen concentration negatively affects the production of the extracellular lignin peroxidases and manganese peroxidases which are key components of the lignin-degrading system of this organism. To test the hypothesis that oxygen limitation in the pellets is responsible for this effect, oxygen microelectrodes were used to determine oxygen concentration gradients within the mycelial pellets of P. chrysosporium. Pellets were removed from oxygenated cultures, allowed to equilibrate with air, and probed with oxygen microelectrodes. The oxygen profiles were modelled assuming that O2 uptake follows a Michaelis-Menten relationship. The Vmax and Km values for oxygen uptake were 0.76 +/- 0.10 g/m3 of pellet per s and 0.5 +/- 0.3 g/m3, respectively. These kinetic values were used to predict respiration rates in air-flushed cultures, oxygen-flushed cultures, and cultures with large pellets (diameter greater than 6 mm). The predicted respiration rates were independently validated by experimentally measuring the evolution of carbon dioxide from whole cultures.

Role of manganese peroxidases and lignin peroxidases of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the decolorization of kraft bleach plant effluent.

The role of lignin peroxidases (LIPs) and manganese peroxidases (MNPs) of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in decolorizing kraft bleach plant effluent (BPE) was investigated. Negligible BPE decolorization was exhibited by a per mutant, which lacks the ability to produce both the LIPs and the MNPs. Also, little decolorization was seen when the wild type was grown in high-nitrogen medium, in which the production of LIPs and MNPs is blocked. A lip mutant of P. chrysosporium, which produces MNPs but not LIPs, showed about 80% of the activity exhibited by the wild type, indicating that the MNPs play an important role in BPE decolorization. When P. chrysosporium was grown in a medium with 100 ppm of Mn(II), high levels of MNPs but no LIPs were produced, and this culture also exhibited high rates of BPE decolorization, lending further support to the idea that MNPs play a key role in BPE decolorization. When P. chrysosporium was grown in a medium with no Mn(II), high levels of LIPs but negligible levels of MNPs were produced and the rate and extent of BPE decolorization by such cultures were quite low, indicating that LIPs play a relatively minor role in BPE decolorization. Furthermore, high rates of BPE decolorization were seen on days 3 and 4 of incubation, when the cultures exhibit high levels of MNP activity but little or no LIP activity. These results indicate that MNPs play a relatively more important role than LIPs in BPE decolorization by P. chrysosporium.

Liquid level control in an aerated continous-flow fermentor.

An electronic liquid level control system was developed to maintain constant working volume in a continuously fed and aerated fermentor from which spent medium was continously withdrawn by microfiltration in an external recycle loop. The level control system was comprised of an admittance sensor in the fermentor and an external transmitter and controller, which together regulated the speed of a recycle pump and thus the rate of liquid withdrawal from the fermentor. During test bacterial culture the liquid level was maintained usually within +/- 1% and always within +/- 5%. The control system could be applied to various other types and scales of continuous-flow fermentors.