Imagine a sheet of carbon atoms, which would look like a sheet of hexagons. If you roll that sheet into a tube, you'd have a carbon nanotube. Carbon nanotube properties depend on how you roll the sheet. In other words, even though all carbon nanotubes are made of carbon, they can be very different from one another based on how you align the individual atoms. They can come in different forms, it all depends on the chemistry, and how they are arranged.
Carbon nanotubes are classified according to their structures: single-wall nanotubes, double-wall nanotubes, and multi-wall nanotubes. The different structures have individual properties that make the nanotubes appropriate for different applications. It can help benefit many fields such as:
The properties of nanotubes have caused researchers and companies to consider using them in several fields. For example, because carbon nanotubes have the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any known material, researchers at NASA are combining carbon nanotubes with other materials into composites that can be used to build lightweight spacecraft.
Carbon nanotubes are classified according to their structures: single-wall nanotubes, double-wall nanotubes, and multi-wall nanotubes. The different structures have individual properties that make the nanotubes appropriate for different applications. It can help benefit many fields such as:
- Structural
- Electromagnetic
- Electroacoustic
- Chemical
- Mechanical
- Electrical circuits
- Medicine
For instances, with the right arrangement of atoms, you can create a carbon nanotube that's hundreds of times stronger than steel, but six times lighter. Engineers plan to make building material out of carbon nanotubes, particularly for things like cars and airplanes. Lighter vehicles would mean better fuel efficiency, and the added strength translates to increased passenger safety.