259 0-8493-1653-X/01/$0.00+$1.50 © 2004 by CRC Press LLC 11 Macroscopic Fibers of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Virginia A. Davis and Matteo Pasquali CONTENTS 11.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 259 11.2 Fibers Produced Directly from SWNT Synthesis..................................... 260 11.3 Electrophoretic Spinning ............................................................................ 262 11.4 Conventional Fiber Spinning ...................................................................... 262 11.4.1 Melt-Spun Composite Fibers ....................................................... 264 11.4.2 Solution-Spun SWNT Fibers ....................................................... 266 11.4.2.1 SWNT/Liquid Crystalline Polymer Composite Fibers ........................................................................... 266 11.4.2.2 Fibers Produced from SWNT/Surfactant Dispersions .................................................................. 267 11.4.2.3 Fibers Produced from SWNT/Superacid Dispersions .................................................................. 272 11.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 275 Problems ................................................................................................................ 275 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................. 275 References .............................................................................................................. 276 11.1 INTRODUCTION On the nano- to microscale, theoretical calculations and experimental measurements indicate that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have electrical conductivity and current-carrying capacity similar to copper [1,2], thermal conductivity higher than diamond [3,4], and mechanical strength higher than any naturally occurring or man-made material [5,6]. Although precise numbers are hard to pinpoint because of the limited accuracy of theoretical calculations and experiments on small bundles of nanotubes (NTs), Baughman et al. estimate a theoretical thermal conductivity of 2000 W/m K, an elastic modulus of 640 GPa, and a tensile strength of 37 GPa [7]. Some microelectronic and materials characterization applications (e.g., an atomic force microscopy tip) may be able to utilize the properties of individual and small 1653_C11.fm Page 259 Tuesday, October 19, 2004 3:58 PM