Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns are made of aligned filaments of structured carbon, such as single or multi-walled carbon nanotubes. They have many advantageous properties, such as their flexibility, strength, and thermal and electrical conductivity. This makes high quality CNT yarns desirable in many applications. Here we report on using THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to characterize Miralon® yarn manufactured by Huntsman Corporation. As CNTs strongly absorb and reflect THz radiation polarized along the CNT axis, THz-TDS provides a rapid, non-destructive approach to characterize CNT fiber bundle alignment in the yarn materials. In this report, THz-TDS measurements of two yarn samples with differing strengths were compared to find a correlation between THz absorption and yarn tenacity. It was found that the stronger yarn had more uniformity in THz absorption across multiple spots, meaning higher uniformity in the CNT bundle alignment within the yarn plays a key role in yarn strength.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Frey, Natalie

Subject

• Industry
• Innovation

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 119183
• E-project-032224-182034

Keyword

• CNT Yarn
• THz-TDS
• Carbon Nanotubes
• Characterization Method
• Toptica
• Terahertz

Advisor

• Kushnir, Kateryna

Year

• 2024

Sponsor

• Nanocomp Technologies, Inc.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Date created

• 2024-03-22

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Applied Physics

Source

• E-project-032224-182034

Rights statement

• In Copyright