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Formation of highly conductive composite coatings and their applications to broadband antennas and mechanical transducers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Kang-Shyang Liao ,
Jamal A. Talla ,
Soniya D. Yambem ,
Donald Birx ,
Guo Chen ,
Faith Coldren ,
David L. Carroll ,
Lijie Ci ,
Pulickel M. Ajayan  and
Donghui Zhang
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Kang-Shyang Liao*
Affiliation:
Institute for NanoEnergy, Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004
Jamal A. Talla
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Soniya D. Yambem
Affiliation:
Institute for NanoEnergy, Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004
Donald Birx
Affiliation:
Office for the Vice Chancellor of Research, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004
Guo Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004
David L. Carroll
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109
Pulickel M. Ajayan
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005
Donghui Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
Seamus A. Curran
Affiliation:
Institute for NanoEnergy, Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: kliao@mail.uh.edu
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Abstract

Tight networks of interwoven carbon nanotube bundles are formed in our highly conductive composite. The composite possesses properties suggesting a two-dimensional percolative network rather than other reported dispersions displaying three-dimensional networks. Binding nanotubes into large but tight bundles dramatically alters the morphology and electronic transport dynamics of the composite. This enables it to carry higher levels of charge in the macroscale leading to conductivities as high as 1600 S/cm. We now discuss in further detail, the electronic and physical properties of the nanotube composites through Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis. When controlled and used appropriately, the interesting properties of these composites reveal their potential for practical device applications. For instance, we used this composite to fabricate coatings, which improve the properties of an electromagnetic antenna/amplifier transducer. The resulting transducer possesses a broadband range up to GHz frequencies. A strain gauge transducer was also fabricated using changes in conductivity to monitor structural deformations in the composite coatings.

Keywords

CompositeElectrical propertiesPolymer
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 25 , Issue 9 , September 2010 , pp. 1741 - 1747
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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