Clemson researchers have high hopes for particle-sized technology
A new particle-sized technology at Clemson University is playing the lead role in a four-year research project at the school’s Nanomaterials Center. At 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, carbon nanotubes could one day power industrial tools, run consumer electronics and help to reduce carbon emissions.
The tube-shaped molecules are used with graphene sheets no thicker than an atom to construct capacitors capable of lighting small electronics.
By joining an array of materials such as aluminum foil, a byproduct of papermaking and a high-tech material called “buckypaper,” scientists at the center hope to one day use the technology to capture solar and wind power.
Apparao Rao, R.A. Bowen professor of physics, said the concepts were proven during the first year of study and that researchers are now trying to duplicate the results on a larger scale while looking for industrial partners.
Researchers at the university are attempting to use the new materials for storing energy, he said. Combining the new materials with the current industry standards will produce a better synergy.
Although many of the nanomaterials used in the research come from coal, a material tied to greenhouse gases when burned, the new technology does not respond the same.
Rao said the new materials, much like coal, have carbon atoms as a basic building block.
Materials such as diamonds, coal and pencil lead also contain carbon atoms as a component, but each material is stitched together in a very specific way to promote a very specific property, so they cannot be compared in terms of performance, he said.
While the new technology could be many years from creating commercially available capacitors, it has cleared some obstacles limiting renewable energy.
“We are at the very tip of the iceberg,” Rao said.
The long-term goal of the new technology is to store energy using affordable resources.
Under the restraints of current technology, capacitors cannot store much energy but can release it quickly. Making renewable energy inexpensive means storing unused energy until it’s needed to light homes and power businesses.
“We envision storing a high amount of energy that releases quickly,” Rao said.
Although Rao’s team is currently harnessing the technology to power industrial tools, adapting the technology to the automotive industry while making capacitors on an industrial scale remains a key focus.
Beginning with a thin sheet of nanotubes called buckypaper or by growing nanotubes on a sheet of aluminum foil in a roll-to-roll process, the scientists coat the sheet with a byproduct of the papermaking process, called lignin.
The sheets are then rolled up with other necessary components to make the capacitor.
Assistant professor of chemical engineering Mark Roberts said the buckypaper and foil act as a highway to carry electrons, while the lignin provides a cheap material for energy storage.
“Our capacitors have their value, and they have their limitations, but they’re non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials that can fill a role in our energy landscape,” he said.
