Properties & Applications Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes
A material with remarkable properties and laced with extraordinary possibilities are known to be as carbon nanotubes. When describing these nanotubes, one should it is mandatory to describe the physicochemical nature or characterization of the particular carbon nanotube. There are more than single types of carbon nanotubes are there at present, single or multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
Single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes are not just the two variants of nanotubes. But, the multi-walled version also has two subtypes, which are double-walled and multiple-walled carbon nanotubes. Single walled carbon nanotubes or SWNTs is one of the types that begun a revolution when it was first discovered in 1991 and placed a great deal in the global community.
Properties of single walled carbon nanotubes
The properties of the single-walled version of carbon nanotubes are divided into several groups which are listed below:
Mechanical:
When comparing with steel, the SWNTs are stronger than that, but weighing less than steel. To be specific, SWNTs are almost 100 times stronger but weigh the only 1/16th of steel.
Electrical:
The current carrying capacity of SWMT is 109amp/cm2, which is higher than many good conductors of electricity.
Optical:
The optical property of the SWMT makes it ideal to replace the ITO, because of its unique optical absorption and fluorescence spectrum.
Thermal:
This product can be compared with diamonds which is known for its highest measured thermal connectivity.
The Potential Uses of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes
SWMTs have some of the distinct properties that have led to helping in a wide range of technological problems. Due to their extraordinary mechanical strength, it is subjugated in enhanced carbon fiber, and elastomers. The high connectivity nature and larger surface areas convey to prepare lithium ion batteries and super capacitors.
The optical properties are unique, and it does use as electrodes in displays, solar cells, and newer solid state lighting technologies. The uses of single walled carbon nanotubes in the form of a semiconductor are in non-volatile memory elements, like security tags.