Nanotube Yarn Developed

All-nanotube yarn has been developed:

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But how strong is it? How does it compare to the strongest commercial fibers of today?

Despite our recent debates on the weakness of Van Der Waals forces, I read that if your nanotubes get past the millimeter length, the Van Der Waals forces are enough to match the individual nanotube tensile strength.

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sanman
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Here's another article, with some nifty pics:

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So the article says that this process is using Multi-Wall Nanotubes (MWNTs), but I thought that it's the Single-Walled Nanotubes (SWNTs) which are supposed to be better for strength-to-weight ratio. What are MWNTs good for? Better electrical current transport?

I'm not sure I understand the part they mention about the nanotubes all falling into a "conga line". Why do they do this? Does it mean that as soon as each vertical nanotube "tree" is pulled into the thread, that it somehow attracts its neighbor to be uprooted and follow behind it? Does that mean there is physical contact between the plucked nanotube and its following neighbor? Electrostatic attraction or Van Der Waals forces?

Anyhow, it seems like this process will benefit as the nanotube forrests are grown ever taller, because then you'll be pulling in ever longer nanotubes with greater Van Der Waals attractive abilities.

Reply to
sanman

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