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Published Online March 11, 2004
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1094982

Reports

Submitted on December 22, 2003
Accepted on February 23, 2004

Direct Spinning of Carbon Nanotube Fibers from Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis

Ya-Li Li 1, Ian A. Kinloch 1, Alan H. Windle 1*

1 Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ahw1{at}cam.ac.uk.

Many routes have been developed for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, but their assembly into continuous fibres has only been achieved through post-processing methods. In the present work it has proved possible to spin fibers and ribbons of carbon nanotubes directly from the CVD synthesis zone of a furnace using a liquid source of carbon and iron nanocatalyst. This process has been realized through the appropriate choice of the reactants, control of the reaction conditions and by the continuous withdrawal of product with a rotating spindle used in various geometries. The direct spinning from a CVD reaction zone is extendable to other types of fibre, and to the spin coating of rotating objects in general.


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