Plenary lecture 5: industrializing carbon nanotechnology

The industrial revolution of the 1800's was underpinned by iron, copper, and aluminum materials. The electronics revolution in the 1900's was based on silicon and semiconductor materials. Then the composite materials revolution began replacing metals later in the 1900's. While the materials developed in these revolutions have been effective, they are now hitting the wall in terms of meeting the performance requirements for current machines, structures, and electronic devices. Metals are too heavy and they corrode and fail by fatigue, silicon electronics is reaching its limit of miniaturization, and current composite materials are brittle and poor thermal and electrical conductors. In the 21st century, carbon materials are being synthesized at the nanoscale and are providing properties that greatly exceed those of traditional materials. Carbon nanoscale materials are also being scaled up to form macro-scale materials with properties that are becoming competitive with existing materials. But overall, producing consistent high quality nanoscale materials and scaling them up to produce macroscale materials with breakthrough properties has not been achieved. Nanotechnology has been going on for about fifteen years. This is a short time compared to the early industrial revolutions that took 50-100 years to develop. Still, progress toward industrializingnanotechnology is too slow.Unless this issue of scalability and consistency is addressed, the major benefits of carbon nanotechnology may never be realized. Now is the time for a large internationally coordinated effort directed toward improving material quality and scalability and to transition carbon nanotechnology from science to industrialization. This talk will discuss approaches for Industrializing Carbon Nanotechnology with the vision to collaborate and power an industrial revolution in carbon nanotechnology for the 21st century. The goal of the nanotechnology industrial revolution will develop scalable nanostructured carbon materials, transformative devices, and recyclable materials and systems with breakthrough performance to replace traditional materials. Four science thrust areas will be discussed where research efforts are particularly needed: ST-1 CNT Synthesis Chemistry, Post treatments; ST-2Superlong, High Quality CNT Arrays, andNanosphere Chains; ST-3 Graphene Synthesis; and ST-4 Substrate and Reactor Engineering.Synthesis of nanoscale materials is the most important science thrust andembodies all of the promise and challenges of nanotechnology. A critical priority in developing scalable nanotechnology is to develop technology that allows transitioning from nanotubes and graphene flakes to 3- D structures and systems. This talk will discusssynthesis of carbon nanotube arrays or forests, why carbon materials have defects, why nanotubes stop growing, why yarn does not achieve the strength of nanotubes, and how to scale up the properties of graphene. The importance of carbon nucleation and growth is fundamental in terms of engineering because it may enable manufacturing the strongest and most electrically conductive materials in the world. Similarly, four technology thrust areas will be discussed where research efforts are particularly needed: TT-1 Energy Systems; TT-2 Nanomedicine Devices; TT-3Space Industrialization; and TT-4 Composite Materials. Medicine is an area that can benefit tremendously from carbon nanotechnology.Implantable electronics, biomedical fiber that is electrically conductive, pliable, and stronger than steel, biosensors, and tissue scaffolding are near-term applications. Carbon will be the only material available to build non-metallic tiny electric motors and solenoids that will work inside the body. And close collaboration between the medical community and engineers will provide solutions doctors and biologists can't see alone. Putting these kinds of devices in the hands of physicians would produce mind-boggling advances, like science fiction come alive. Energy harvesting and generation using carbon nanostructured materials is expected to revolutionize the way electricity is produced including improved solar cells, fuel cells, and hydrogen production and storage. CNT arrays, ribbon, and yarn will replace copper and metals for power distribution, to build carbon electronics, superinductors, electrical fiber, and supercapacitors. Ultra-high magnetic field densities >5 T and forces that can tear materials apart theoretically can be produced using nanotube electromagnetics. An all carbon electric motor may be 60% lighter than conventional motors. The carbon industrial revolution should also include Space Industrialization with advisement from leaders like Stephen Hawking at Cambridge. There's plenty of carbon in the universe along with energy for growing CNTs, and vacuum is suitable for post processing and spinning yarn. Space nanotechnology may be the only way to manufacture large structures like a space elevator ribbon and large solar panels to provide enough clean energy for the world. The carbon industrial revolution has a high probability of success because samples of super-strong CNT yarn and highly conductive graphene have already been demonstrated.