Single-walled carbon nanotube-derived novel structural material

Binder-free macroscopic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) solids were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) of purified SWCNTs. The effects of processing temperatures and pressures on the mechanical properties of the SWCNT solids and structural change of SWCNTs in the SWCNT solids were investigated. Transmission electron microscope observation of the SWCNT solids revealed thatthe high-temperature treatment has transformed some part of the SWCNTs into amorphous-like structure and the rest of the SWCNTs remained buried into the above structure. The mechanical properties of the SWCNT solids increased with the increasing processing temperature, probably reflecting the improvement of interfacial strength between SWCNTs and disordered structure of carbon due to the spark plasma generated in the SPS process.