Buckypaper

The "Holy Grail" of nanotechnology is to make thin sheets of "paper" out of carbon nanotubes. Then the sheets can be laminated together to form things like aircraft wings, etc.

It looks like they are on to something at FSU -

I wonder how it machines?

I also remember reading an article about how they think nanotubes might cause mesothelioma (asbestos related) type cancers.

Reply to
D Murphy
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Mesothelioma isn't a cancer as far as I know. It's a disease and treatable.

JC

Reply to
John R. Carroll

"John R. Carroll" wrote in news:hP8Kk.3826$ snipped-for-privacy@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com:

It is cancer and it's not treatable. At least with any degree of success.

Reply to
D Murphy

I was always under the impression that, Like HIV and AIDS, mesothelioma precedes any cancer.

JC

Reply to
John R. Carroll

"John R. Carroll" wrote in news:PE9Kk.3770$ snipped-for-privacy@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com:

Asbestos can also cause lung cancer. That's probably why.

Reply to
D Murphy

Beg to differ. I lost my sister to it 5 years ago. It's a cancer, and terminal. The end stages are horrible.

Reply to
Steve Walker

Dan:

That could be a relevant question for machinists in the near future as literally TONS of carbon nanotubes (CNT's), are now being manufactured.

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CNTs today are available for industrial applications in bulk quantities up metric ton quantities from Cheap Tubes. Several CNT manufacturers have >100 ton per year production capacity for multi walled nanotubes. I have seen forecasts predicting that GM alone will consume over 500 tons of CNT masterbatches in 2006 for using in all areas of automotive plastics.

There are many useful and unique properties of CNTs. The list includes:

High Electrical Conductivity Very High Tensile Strength Highly Flexible- can be bent considerably without damage Very Elastic ~18% elongation to failure High Thermal Conductivity Low Thermal Expansion Coefficient Good Field Emission of Electrons Highly Absorbent High Aspect Ratio (length = ~1000 x diameter)

Possibly more important than fullerenes are Carbon nanotubes, which are related to graphite. The molecular structure of graphite resembles stacked, one-atom-thick sheets of chicken wire - a planar network of interconnected hexagonal rings of carbon atoms. In conventional graphite, the sheets of carbon are stacked on top of one another, allowing them to easily slide over each other. That is why graphite is not hard, but it feels greasy, and can be used as a lubricant. When graphene sheets are rolled into a cylinder and their edges joined, they form CNTs. Only the tangents of the graphitic planes come into contact with each other, and hence their properties are more like those of a molecule. ["Nanotechnology: Basic Science and Emerging Technologies" M. Wilson et al, (2002)]

A nanotube may consist of one tube of graphite, a one-atom thick single-wall nanotube, or a number of concentric tubes called multiwalled nanotubes. =============================================================

Back to realtime here; Now since the article above states that CNT's are essentially rolled up sheets of graphite, I would "speculate" that the machining forces needed to turn or mill CNT's would be similar to machining planar graphite.

Reply to
BottleBob

BottleBob wrote in news:GP-dnSswTajd-mPVnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

Maybe. Laminated sheets of "paper" will no doubt machine differently though.

Tons, eh? I sure hope it doesn't cause cancer than.

Reply to
D Murphy

Dan:

Perhaps, perhaps not. Not having a sample to play with I can't really say.

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Carbon nanotubes have distinctive characteristics, but their needle-like fiber shape has been compared to asbestos, raising concerns that widespread use of carbon nanotubes may lead to mesothelioma, cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos.

Here we show that exposing the mesothelial lining of the body cavity of mice, as a surrogate for the mesothelial lining of the chest cavity, to long multiwalled carbon nanotubes results in asbestos-like, length-dependent, pathogenic behavior. This includes inflammation and the formation of lesions known as granulomas. This is of considerable importance, because research and business communities continue to invest heavily in carbon nanotubes for a wide range of products5 under the assumption that they are no more hazardous than graphite. Our results suggest the need for further research and great caution before introducing such products into the market if long-term harm is to be avoided. ==========================================================

Reading the above, I don't think I even WANT a sample to play with. LOL

Reply to
BottleBob

BottleBob wrote in news:zbydndlUS4ysNmLVnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

I remember reading something just like what you posted and every time I read some new news about CNT's I can't help but think it's all going to end badly for the companies involved. The asbestos litigation tanked a bunch of big companies.

Reply to
D Murphy

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