Key Factors Limiting Carbon Nanotube Yarn Strength: Exploring Processing-Structure-Property RelationshipsClick to copy article linkArticle link copied!
- Allison M. Beese
- Xiaoding Wei
- Sourangsu Sarkar
- Rajaprakash Ramachandramoorthy
- Michael R. Roenbeck
- Alexander Moravsky
- Matthew Ford
- Fazel Yavari
- Denis T. Keane
- Raouf O. Loutfy
- SonBinh T. Nguyen
- Horacio D. Espinosa
Abstract

Studies of carbon nanotube (CNT) based composites have been unable to translate the extraordinary load-bearing capabilities of individual CNTs to macroscale composites such as yarns. A key challenge lies in the lack of understanding of how properties of filaments and interfaces across yarn hierarchical levels govern the properties of macroscale yarns. To provide insight required to enable the development of superior CNT yarns, we investigate the fabrication–structure–mechanical property relationships among CNT yarns prepared by different techniques and employ a Monte Carlo based model to predict upper bounds on their mechanical properties. We study the correlations between different levels of alignment and porosity and yarn strengths up to 2.4 GPa. The uniqueness of this experimentally informed modeling approach is the model’s ability to predict when filament rupture or interface sliding dominates yarn failure based on constituent mechanical properties and structural organization observed experimentally. By capturing this transition and predicting the yarn strengths that could be obtained under ideal fabrication conditions, the model provides critical insights to guide future efforts to improve the mechanical performance of CNT yarn systems. This multifaceted study provides a new perspective on CNT yarn design that can serve as a foundation for the development of future composites that effectively exploit the superior mechanical performance of CNTs.
Cited By
Smart citations by scite.ai include citation statements extracted from the full text of the citing article. The number of the statements may be higher than the number of citations provided by ACS Publications if one paper cites another multiple times or lower if scite has not yet processed some of the citing articles.
This article is cited by 68 publications.
- Hong Liang Shi, Qiang Qiang Shi, Hang Zhan, Jin Jin Ai, Yu Ting Chen, Jian Nong Wang. High-Strength Carbon Nanotube Fibers from Purity Control by Atomized Catalytic Pyrolysis and Alignment Improvement by Continuous Large Prestraining. Nano Letters 2023, 23
(23)
, 10739-10747. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02707
- Rafael
A. Soler-Crespo, Wei Gao, Lily Mao, Hoang T. Nguyen, Michael R. Roenbeck, Jeffrey T. Paci, Jiaxing Huang, SonBinh T. Nguyen, Horacio D. Espinosa. The Role of Water in Mediating Interfacial Adhesion and Shear Strength in Graphene Oxide. ACS Nano 2018, 12
(6)
, 6089-6099. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.8b02373
- Sunghyun Nam, Daniel A. Alhassan, Brian D. Condon, Alfred D. French, Zhe Ling. Thermally Induced Structural Transitions in Cotton Fiber Revealed by a Finite Mixture Model of Tenacity Distribution. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2018, 6
(6)
, 7420-7431. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b04919
- Anastasiia Mikhalchan, Agnieszka M. Banas, Krzysztof Banas, Anna M. Borkowska, Michal Nowakowski, Mark B. H. Breese, Wojciech M. Kwiatek, Czeslawa Paluszkiewicz, Tong Earn Tay. Revealing Chemical Heterogeneity of CNT Fiber Nanocomposites via Nanoscale Chemical Imaging. Chemistry of Materials 2018, 30
(6)
, 1856-1864. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b04065
- Manishkumar D. Yadav, Kinshuk Dasgupta, Ashwin W. Patwardhan, and Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi . High Performance Fibers from Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications in Composites—A Review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2017, 56
(44)
, 12407-12437. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.7b02269
- Tarek R. Fadel Michael A. Meador . The Role of Chemical Sciences in the National Nanotechnology Initiative: Accomplishments and Future Direction. 2016, 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2016-1220.ch003
- Zheng Li, Zheng Liu, Haiyan Sun, and Chao Gao . Superstructured Assembly of Nanocarbons: Fullerenes, Nanotubes, and Graphene. Chemical Reviews 2015, 115
(15)
, 7046-7117. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00102
- Michael R. Roenbeck, Al’ona Furmanchuk, Zhi An, Jeffrey T. Paci, Xiaoding Wei, SonBinh T. Nguyen, George C. Schatz, and Horacio D. Espinosa . Molecular-Level Engineering of Adhesion in Carbon Nanomaterial Interfaces. Nano Letters 2015, 15
(7)
, 4504-4516. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b01011
- Jeffrey T. Paci, Al’ona Furmanchuk, Horacio D. Espinosa, and George C. Schatz . Shear and Friction between Carbon Nanotubes in Bundles and Yarns. Nano Letters 2014, 14
(11)
, 6138-6147. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl502210r
- Zhicheng Yang, Yinan Yang, Yufei Huang, Yanyan Shao, He Hao, Shendong Yao, Qiqing Xi, Yinben Guo, Lianming Tong, Muqiang Jian, Yuanlong Shao, Jin Zhang. Wet-spinning of carbon nanotube fibers: dispersion, processing and properties. National Science Review 2024, 11
(10)
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae203
- Tong Lu, Xiao-Wen Lei, Toshiyuki Fujii. Nucleation of disclinations in carbon nanotube bundle structures under twisting loads. Carbon 2024, 228 , 119287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2024.119287
- Britannia Vondrasek, Cecil Evers, Claire Jolowsky, Gregory M. Odegard, Zhiyong Liang, Michael Czabaj. Characterization of multidirectional carbon-nanotube-yarn/bismaleimide laminates under tensile loading. Composites Part B: Engineering 2024, 280 , 111465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2024.111465
- Anastasiia Mikhalchan, Sergio Ramos Lozano, Andrea Fernández Gorgojo, Carlos González, Juan J. Vilatela. Network structure enabling re-use and near full property retention in CNT sheets recycled from thermoset composites. Carbon 2024, 220 , 118851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2024.118851
- Mingquan Zhu, Yunxiang Bai, Runyi Gao, Yajing Liu, Peng Zhang, Hui Zhang, Luqi Liu, Zhong Zhang. Failure-analysis of carbon nanotubes and their extreme applications. Nano Research 2023, 16
(11)
, 12364-12383. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6001-7
- Kunjie Wu, Bin Wang, Yutao Niu, Wenjing Wang, Cao Wu, Tao Zhou, Li Chen, Xianghe Zhan, Ziyao Wan, Shan Wang, Zhengpeng Yang, Yichi Zhang, Liwen Zhang, Yongyi Zhang, Zhenzhong Yong, Muqiang Jian, Qingwen Li. Carbon nanotube fibers with excellent mechanical and electrical properties by structural realigning and densification. Nano Research 2023, 16
(11)
, 12762-12771. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6157-1
- Sinan Dönmez, Sermet Demir, Paşa Yayla. Suitability of Pristine Carbon Nanotube Yarn Tool for Material Removal by Electrical Discharges. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2023, 32
(19)
, 8927-8937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-07766-5
- Dharmjeet Madhav, Bart Buffel, Paula Moldenaers, Frederik Desplentere, Veerle Vandeginste. A review of nacre-inspired materials: Chemistry, strengthening-deformation mechanism, synthesis, and applications. Progress in Materials Science 2023, 139 , 101168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2023.101168
- Muhammad Usama Arshad, Congjie Wei, Yanxiao Li, Jiaoli Li, Moein Khakzad, Chuanrui Guo, Chenglin Wu, Mohammad Naraghi. Mechanics – Microstructure relations in 1D, 2D and mixed dimensional carbon nanomaterials. Carbon 2023, 204 , 162-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2022.12.042
- Sidra Saleemi, Hafiz Abdul Mannan, Alamin Idris, Wei Liu, Fujun Xu. Synergistic effect of esterification and densification on structural modification of CNT yarn for efficient interfacial performance. Chemical Papers 2023, 77
(1)
, 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-022-02467-8
- C. Pérez-Aranda, R. Pech-Pisté, H. J. Carrillo-Escalante, G. C. Uribe-Riestra, F. Avilés. Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Yarns With High Energy Dissipation Capabilities. Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology 2023, 145
(1)
https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4055540
- Toshihiko Fujimori, Daiji Yamashita, Yoshiya Kishibe, Momoko Sakai, Hirotaka Inoue, Takamasa Onoki, Jun Otsuka, Daisuke Tanioka, Takeshi Hikata, Soichiro Okubo, Keishi Akada, Jun-ichi Fujita. One step fabrication of aligned carbon nanotubes using gas rectifier. Scientific Reports 2022, 12
(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05297-6
- Kyung Tae Park, Young Shik Cho, Inho Jeong, Doojoon Jang, Hyeon Cho, Yoohyeon Choi, Taemin Lee, Youngpyo Ko, Jaeyoo Choi, Soo Young Hong, Min‐Wook Oh, Seungjun Chung, Chong Rae Park, Heesuk Kim. Highly Integrated, Wearable Carbon‐Nanotube‐Yarn‐Based Thermoelectric Generators Achieved by Selective Inkjet‐Printed Chemical Doping. Advanced Energy Materials 2022, 12
(25)
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202200256
- Bharath Natarajan. Processing-structure-mechanical property relationships in direct formed carbon nanotube articles and their composites: A review. Composites Science and Technology 2022, 225 , 109501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2022.109501
- Jinling Gao, Kamel Fezzaa, Weinong Chen. Multiscale dynamic experiments on fiber-reinforced composites with damage assessment using high-speed synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging. NDT & E International 2022, 129 , 102636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2022.102636
- Jinling Gao, Nesredin Kedir, Weinong Chen. Characterization of failure of single carbon nanotube fibers under extreme transverse loading. Materials & Design 2022, 215 , 110482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.110482
- A. Pirmoz, J.L. Abot, F. Avilés. Simulation of mechanical response of carbon nanotube yarns under uniaxial tensile loading. Mechanics of Materials 2022, 165 , 104144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmat.2021.104144
- Megha Chitranshi, Daniel Chen, Mark Schulz. Heat treatment of carbon nanotube hybrid material for textile applications. Journal of Textile Engineering & Fashion Technology 2021, 7
(4)
, 121-125. https://doi.org/10.15406/jteft.2021.07.00278
- Kunjie Wu, Yutao Niu, Yongyi Zhang, Zhenzhong Yong, Qingwen Li. Continuous growth of carbon nanotube films: From controllable synthesis to real applications. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2021, 144 , 106359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2021.106359
- Shijun Wang, Jiahao Lin, Zhen Xu, Zhiping Xu. Understanding macroscopic assemblies of carbon nanostructures with microstructural complexity. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2021, 143 , 106318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2021.106318
- Daniel Mählich, Oliver Eberhardt, Thomas Wallmersperger. Numerical simulation of the mechanical behavior of a carbon nanotube bundle. Acta Mechanica 2021, 232
(2)
, 483-494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-020-02874-6
- Jeong-Gyun Kim, Dongseok Suh, Haeyong Kang. Large variation in Young's modulus of carbon nanotube yarns with different diameters. Current Applied Physics 2021, 21 , 96-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cap.2020.10.015
- Yuanyuan Li, Baozhong Sun, Subramani Sockalingam, Zhijuan Pan, Weibang Lu, Tsu-Wei Chou. Influence of transverse compression on axial electromechanical properties of carbon nanotube fibers. Materials & Design 2020, 188 , 108463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108463
- Radostina A. Angelova. Failure of yarns in different textile applications. 2020, 277-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-101937-5.00010-5
- Juan C. Fernández-Toribio, Anastasiia Mikhalchan, Cleis Santos, Álvaro Ridruejo, Juan J. Vilatela. Understanding cooperative loading in carbon nanotube fibres through in-situ structural studies during stretching. Carbon 2020, 156 , 430-437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2019.09.070
- Junbeom Park, Jaegeun Lee, Dong-Myeong Lee, Sung-Hyun Lee, Hyeon Su Jeong, Kun-Hong Lee, Seung Min Kim. Mathematical model for the dynamic mechanical behavior of carbon nanotube yarn in analogy with hierarchically structured bio-materials. Carbon 2019, 152 , 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2019.05.077
- Anastasiia Mikhalchan, Juan José Vilatela. A perspective on high-performance CNT fibres for structural composites. Carbon 2019, 150 , 191-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2019.04.113
- Keiichi Shirasu, Go Yamamoto, Toshiyuki Hashida. How do the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes increase? An experimental evaluation and modeling of the engineering tensile strength of individual carbon nanotubes. Materials Research Express 2019, 6
(5)
, 055047. https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ab069f
- Michael R. Roenbeck, Julia Cline, Vincent Wu, Mehdi Afshari, Steve Kellner, Patrick Martin, Juan David Londono, Laura E. Clinger, David Reichert, Steven R. Lustig, Kenneth E. Strawhecker. Structure–property relationships of aramid fibers via X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy. Journal of Materials Science 2019, 54
(8)
, 6668-6683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-03282-x
- Noe T. Alvarez, Peter Miller, Mark R. Haase, Rui Lobo, Rachit Malik, Vesselin Shanov. Tailoring physical properties of carbon nanotube threads during assembly. Carbon 2019, 144 , 55-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.11.036
- Robert J. Headrick, Mitchell A. Trafford, Lauren W. Taylor, Oliver S. Dewey, Russell A. Wincheski, Matteo Pasquali. Electrical and acoustic vibroscopic measurements for determining carbon nanotube fiber linear density. Carbon 2019, 144 , 417-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.12.043
- Junjie Chen, Xuhui Gao, Deguang Xu. Recent Advances in Characterization Techniques for the Interface in Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 2019, 2019 , 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5268267
- Yunxiang Bai, Boyuan Shen, Shenli Zhang, Zhenxing Zhu, Silei Sun, Jun Gao, Banghao Li, Yao Wang, Rufan Zhang, Fei Wei. Storage of Mechanical Energy Based on Carbon Nanotubes with High Energy Density and Power Density. Advanced Materials 2019, 31
(9)
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201800680
- Belén Alemán, Juan J. Vilatela. Multiscale Engineering of Carbon Nanotube Fibers. 2019, 113-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812667-7.00006-9
- Bruno Guilherme Christoff, Humberto Brito-Santana, Eduardo Lenz Cardoso, Jandro L. Abot, Volnei Tita. A topology optimization approach used to assess the effect of the matrix impregnation on the effective elastic properties of a unidirectional carbon nanotube bundle composite. Materials Today: Proceedings 2019, 8 , 789-803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.02.021
- Bartolomé Mas, Alfonso Monreal-Bernal, Hangbo Yue, Haiquin Zhang, Juan J. Vilatela. Understanding the enhancement of Young’s modulus of macroscopic carbon nanotube fibers after polymer infiltration. 2019, 090008. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084886
- Hamed Khoshnevis, Thang Q. Tran, Sandar Myo Mint, Ali Zadhoush, Hai M. Duong, Mostafa Youssefi. Effect of alignment and packing density on the stress relaxation process of carbon nanotube fibers spun from floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 2018, 558 , 570-578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.09.011
- Enlai Gao, Weibang Lu, Zhiping Xu. Strength loss of carbon nanotube fibers explained in a three-level hierarchical model. Carbon 2018, 138 , 134-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.05.052
- Yuanyuan Zhang, Xuanhua Li, Jinmeng Zhu, Shuangjie Wang, Bingqing Wei. Hybrids of CNTs and acrylic emulsion for the consolidation of wall paintings. Progress in Organic Coatings 2018, 124 , 185-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2018.08.016
- Hyunjung Cho, Jinwoo Lee, Haemin Lee, Sung-Hyun Lee, Junbeom Park, Cheol-Hun Lee, Kun-Hong Lee. Effects of Wet-Pressing and Cross-Linking on the Tensile Properties of Carbon Nanotube Fibers. Materials 2018, 11
(11)
, 2170. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11112170
- Yeonsu Jung, Young Shik Cho, Jae Won Lee, Jun Young Oh, Chong Rae Park. How can we make carbon nanotube yarn stronger?. Composites Science and Technology 2018, 166 , 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2018.02.010
- Juan C. Fernández-Toribio, Belén Alemán, Álvaro Ridruejo, Juan J. Vilatela. Tensile properties of carbon nanotube fibres described by the fibrillar crystallite model. Carbon 2018, 133 , 44-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.03.006
- Yunxiang Bai, Rufan Zhang, Xuan Ye, Zhenxing Zhu, Huanhuan Xie, Boyuan Shen, Dali Cai, Bofei Liu, Chenxi Zhang, Zhao Jia, Shenli Zhang, Xide Li, Fei Wei. Carbon nanotube bundles with tensile strength over 80 GPa. Nature Nanotechnology 2018, 13
(7)
, 589-595. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0141-z
- Hyunsoo Kim, Seon Jeong Kim. High toughness of bio-inspired multistrand coiled carbon nanotube yarn. Carbon 2018, 131 , 60-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.01.048
- Javier LLorca. On the quest for the strongest materials. Science 2018, 360
(6386)
, 264-265. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat5211
- Shaohua Wu, Penghong Liu, Yue Zhang, Hongnan Zhang, Xiaohong Qin. Flexible and conductive nanofiber-structured single yarn sensor for smart wearable devices. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 2017, 252 , 697-705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2017.06.062
- H. Yue, V. Reguero, E. Senokos, A. Monreal-Bernal, B. Mas, J.P. Fernández-Blázquez, R. Marcilla, J.J. Vilatela. Fractal carbon nanotube fibers with mesoporous crystalline structure. Carbon 2017, 122 , 47-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2017.06.032
- Yuanyuan Shang, Ying Wang, Shuhui Li, Chunfei Hua, Mingchu Zou, Anyuan Cao. High-strength carbon nanotube fibers by twist-induced self-strengthening. Carbon 2017, 119 , 47-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2017.03.101
- Yue Liang, David Sias, Ping Ju Chen, Sameh Tawfick. Tough Nano‐Architectured Conductive Textile Made by Capillary Splicing of Carbon Nanotubes . Advanced Engineering Materials 2017, 19
(7)
https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.201600845
- Ok-Kyung Park, Hoikil Choi, Hanbin Jeong, Yeonsu Jung, Jaesang Yu, Jae Kwan Lee, Jun Yeon Hwang, Seung Min Kim, Youngjin Jeong, Chong Rae Park, Morinobu Endo, Bon-Cheol Ku. High-modulus and strength carbon nanotube fibers using molecular cross-linking. Carbon 2017, 118 , 413-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2017.03.079
- Xinyi Lu, Nitilaksha Hiremath, Kunlun Hong, Maria C Evora, Victoria H Ranson, Amit K Naskar, Gajanan S Bhat, Nam-Goo Kang, Jimmy W Mays. Improving mechanical properties of carbon nanotube fibers through simultaneous solid-state cycloaddition and crosslinking. Nanotechnology 2017, 28
(14)
, 145603. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/aa6223
- Qiang Zhang, Kewei Li, Qingxia Fan, Xiaogang Xia, Nan Zhang, Zhuojian Xiao, Wenbin Zhou, Feng Yang, Yanchun Wang, Huaping Liu, Weiya Zhou. Performance improvement of continuous carbon nanotube fibers by acid treatment. Chinese Physics B 2017, 26
(2)
, 028802. https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-1056/26/2/028802
- . References. 2017, 563-653. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804459-9.00010-5
- Yong-O Im, Sung-Hyun Lee, Teawon Kim, Junbeom Park, Jaegeun Lee, Kun-Hong Lee. Utilization of carboxylic functional groups generated during purification of carbon nanotube fiber for its strength improvement. Applied Surface Science 2017, 392 , 342-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.09.060
- Abhinav Rao, Sameh Tawfick, Mostafa Bedewy, A. John Hart. Morphology-dependent load transfer governs the strength and failure mechanism of carbon nanotube yarns. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2016, 9 , 55-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2016.05.003
- Menghe Miao. The role of twist in dry spun carbon nanotube yarns. Carbon 2016, 96 , 819-826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2015.10.022
- Xiaoding Wei, Matthew Ford, Rafael A. Soler-Crespo, Horacio D. Espinosa. A new Monte Carlo model for predicting the mechanical properties of fiber yarns. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 2015, 84 , 325-335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2015.08.005
- Michael A. Meador. Taking nanotechnology to new heights: The potential impact on future aerospace vehicles. MRS Bulletin 2015, 40
(10)
, 815-821. https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2015.224
- Xiaoding Wei, Tobin Filleter, Horacio D. Espinosa. Statistical shear lag model – Unraveling the size effect in hierarchical composites. Acta Biomaterialia 2015, 18 , 206-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2015.01.040
Article Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.
Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.
The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated.