Carbon nanotubes are thought to be the material of the future. There are two types of nanotubes, single-walled and multi-walled (SWCNT and MWCNT). The former are hollow cylinders consisting of graphene sheets rolled into ~ 1 nm diameter cylinders; they come in many different types as shown to the right. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are series of concentric cylinders. Our group has been interested in single-walled carbon nanotubes more than their counterpart, because we have a ready-supply from a local manufacturer that uses technology developed by Dr. Dan Resasco at OU, and because there small diameter makes for the possibility of very interesting interactions with polymers. For example, it is possible for polymers to wrap around carbon nanotubes

Our current work is divided into three parts. In one part, we are interested in exploring unique effects in SWCNTs and polymers. For example, our group was one of the first, if not the first, to determine that SWCNTs could nucleate polymer crystallinity. At this point, it is believed bundles nucleate crystallinity; whether individually dispersed carbon nanotubes can or not is still a question. Our current work is focussed on how SWCNTs influence polymer dynamics. The second effort is in the development of cost-effective dispersion methods of SWCNTs in polymers. We have focussed on a method that disperses the tubes in water, and then mixes the tubes with a water-dispersible polymer. The third effort is in MWCNTs; we are currently exploring how the dynamics of reassociation after good dispersion might play a role in injection molding operations.

B.P. Grady, F. Pompeo, R.L. Shambaugh and D.E. Resasco, “Nucleation of Polypropylene Crystallization by Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 106, 5852 (2002).

O. Probst, E.M. Moore, B.P. Grady and D.E. Resasco, “Nucleation of Polyvinyl Alcohol Crystallization by Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes”, Polymer, 45, 4437 (2004).

E.M. Moore, D.L. Ortiz, V.T. Marla, R.L. Shambaugh and B.P.Grady, “Enhancing the Strength of Polypropylene Fibers with Carbon Nanotubes” Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 93, 2926 (2004).

B.P. Grady. “The Use of Solution Viscosity to Characterize Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Dispersions”, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 207, 2167 (2006).

F. Buffa, G.A. Abraham, B.P. Grady and D.E. Resasco, “Effect of Nanotube Functionalization on the Properties of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Polyurethane Composites” Journal of Polymer Science: Part B Polymer Physics, 45, 490 (2007).

M.L.P. Ha, B.P. Grady, D.E. Resasco, L. Balzano, W.T. Ford, “Composites of Single-wall Carbon Nanotubes and Copolymer Latices of Styrene and Isoprene” Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 208, 446 (2007).

M.N. Tchoul, W.T. Ford, M.L.P. Ha, I. Chavez-Sumarriva, B.P. Grady, G.L. Lolli, D.E. Resasco, S. Arepalli, “Composites of single-walled carbon nanotubes and polystyrene: preparation and electrical conductivity”, Chemistry of Materials, 20, 3120 (2008).