Scientific American describes that; If a ladder is built between the Earth and the Moon, the only material that can span such a long distance without being pulled apart by its own weight is carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes are a one-dimensional quantum material with a special structure. Their electrical and thermal conductivity can usually reach 10000 times that of copper, their tensile strength is 100 times that of steel, but their density is only 1/6 of steel, and so on. They are one of the most practical cutting-edge materials.
Carbon nanotubes are coaxial circular tubes composed of several to dozens of layers of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern. Maintain a fixed distance between layers, approximately 0.34nm, with a diameter typically ranging from 2 to 20nm.
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is widely used in fields such as electronics, automotive, and medicine due to its high mechanical strength, good processability, and excellent biocompatibility.
By melt blending TPU with conductive carbon black, graphene, or carbon nanotubes, composite materials with conductive properties can be prepared.
Application of TPU/carbon nanotube blend composite materials in the aviation field
Aircraft tires are the only components that come into contact with the ground during takeoff and landing, and have always been regarded as the “crown jewel” of the tire manufacturing industry.
Adding TPU/carbon nanotube blend composite materials to aviation tire tread rubber gives it advantages such as anti-static, high thermal conductivity, high wear resistance, and high tear resistance, in order to improve the overall performance of the tire. This enables the static charge generated by the tire during takeoff and landing to be evenly transmitted to the ground, while also making it easier to save manufacturing costs.
Due to the nanoscale size of carbon nanotubes, although they can improve the various properties of rubber, there are also many technical challenges in the application of carbon nanotubes, such as poor dispersibility and flying during the rubber mixing process. TPU conductive particles have a more uniform dispersion rate than general carbon fiber polymers, with the goal of improving the anti-static and thermal conductivity properties of the rubber industry.
TPU carbon nanotube conductive particles have excellent mechanical strength, good thermal conductivity, and low volume resistivity when applied in tires. When TPU carbon nanotube conductive particles are used in special operation vehicles such as oil tank transport vehicles, flammable and explosive goods transport vehicles, etc., the addition of carbon nanotubes to tires also solves the problem of electrostatic discharge in mid to high end vehicles, further shortens the dry wet braking distance of tires, reduces tire rolling resistance, reduces tire noise, and improves anti-static performance.
The application of carbon nanotube conductive particles on the surface of high-performance tires has demonstrated its excellent performance advantages, including high wear resistance and thermal conductivity, low rolling resistance and durability, good anti-static effect, etc. It can be used to produce high-performance tires, safe and environmentally friendly, and has broad market prospects.
The application of blending carbon nanoparticles with polymer materials can obtain new composite materials with excellent mechanical properties, good conductivity, corrosion resistance, and electromagnetic shielding. Carbon nanotube polymer composites are considered as alternatives to traditional smart materials and will have an increasingly wide range of applications in the future.
Post time: Aug-28-2025