Patent ID: 8906335
Filing Date: 2014-12-09
Classification: B82Y,C01B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of forming carbon nanotubes (CNT), comprising: (a) depositing a catalyst on a substrate; (b) synthesizing a substantially aligned, initial sparse forest of CNT on the substrate; (c) releasing the initial sparse forest of CNT from the substrate but leaving the initial sparse forest of CNT in place on the substrate; then (d) while the released initial sparse forest of CNT is still on the substrate, introducing a liquid to draw the CNT together to form regions of densely-packed CNT on the substrate and bare regions of CNT on the substrate previously occupied by the portions of the initial sparse forest; and (e) synthesizing secondary sparse forests of substantially aligned CNT in the bare regions of CNT on the substrate; and (f) repeating steps (c) through (e) to further densify the CNT and form a substantially continuous solid wherein step (d) comprises a performing a liquid-induced collapse of the CNT in the initial sparse forest, resulting in a typical packing density of about 50% to 70% in the regions of densely packed CNT, and the perpendicular orientation of the CNT is substantially maintained in the regions of densely packed CNT.