Methods for increasing transparency of a nanofiber sheet to many wavelengths of radiation, including those wavelengths within the visible spectrum, are described. These techniques include straining a nanofiber sheet so as to increase its width.

A method of manufacturing a paste according to various embodiments of the present disclosure for resolving the above-described problems is disclosed. The method of manufacturing a paste may include an operation of adding a metal conductor and a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) to chloroform (CHCl.sub.3) to produce a first mixture, an operation of adding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to the first mixture to produce a second mixture, an operation of evaporating the chloroform in the second mixture to acquire a third mixture, and an operation of adding an additional additive to the third mixture to produce a paste.

The present invention relates to a method for treating a sample using glow-discharge plasma, in an apparatus comprising a treatment vessel, an electrode, a counter-electrode, and a power supply comprising one or more transformers and having a first transformer setting and a second transformer setting, the method comprising: (i) a loading step, involving loading the sample into the treatment vessel; (ii) a first treatment step involving treating the sample in a glow-discharge plasma formed within the treatment vessel by applying an electric field between the electrode and counter-electrode at the first transformer setting; (iii) a second treatment step involving treating the sample in a glow-discharge plasma formed within the treatment vessel by applying an electric field between the electrode and counter-electrode at the second transformer setting; and (iv) a removal step, involving removing treated sample from the treatment vessel. The method can be used to functionalize a sample. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for use in such a method.

The present invention relates to a carbon composite material and a method for producing the same, and more particularly, to a carbon composite material capable of improving electrostatic dispersibility and flame retardancy, and a method for producing the same. The carbon composite material according to the present invention can be effectively applied to products requiring conductivity and flame retardancy.

An iron-free supported catalyst for the selective conversion of hydrocarbons to carbon nanotubes may include cobalt and vanadium as active catalytic metals in any oxidation state on a catalyst support comprising aluminum oxide hydroxide. The mass ratio of cobalt to vanadium is between 2 and 15; the mass ratio of cobalt to aluminum is between 5.8 10.sup.−2 and 5.8 10.sup.−1; and the mass ratio vanadium to aluminum is between 5.8 10.sup.−3 and 8.7 10.sup.−2. The present disclosure is further related to a method for the production of this iron-free supported catalyst and to a method for the production of carbon nanotubes using the iron-free supported catalyst.

The present invention relates to an adduct comprising metal particles and an adduct between an sp2 carbon allotrope and a pyrrole compound. In particular, the invention relates to an adduct comprising metal nanoparticles (NPs) and hydrophylic adducts between a sp2 carbon allotrope and a pyrrole compound. The metal preferentially copper, silver or gold. Such adduct is preferentially used for anti-bacterial activity.

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, system and composition producing a magnetic carbon nanomaterial product that may comprise carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at least some of which are magnetic CNTs (mCNTs). The method and apparatus employ carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) as a reactant in an electrolysis reaction in order to make mCNTs. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a magnetic additive component is included as a reactant in the method and as a portion of one or more components in the system or composition to facilitate a magnetic material addition process, a carbide nucleation process or both during the electrosynthesis reaction for making magnetic carbon nanomaterials.

Carbon-based composite materials are provided, such as those comprising at least 80 weight % of graphitic carbon comprising functional groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds, the graphitic carbon in the form of a mat of randomly entangled elongated structures; not more than 20 weight % of a polymer or a nanofiber thereof, dispersed within the graphitic carbon, the polymer or the nanofiber thereof comprising corresponding functional groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds with the functional groups of the graphitic carbon; and a plurality of hydrogen bonds at an interface formed between the graphitic carbon and the polymer or the nanofiber thereof, the plurality of hydrogen bonds formed between the functional groups of the graphitic carbon and the corresponding functional groups of the polymer or the nanofiber thereof.

A method for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes from natural rubber, including providing a first material, the first material may include natural rubber or derivatives thereof, thermally decomposing the first material at a first temperature into an intermediate material, contacting the intermediate material with a catalyst, treating the intermediate material in contact with the catalyst at a second temperature, for forming carbon nanotubes. Adjusting an average characteristic of resulting nanotubes, including carrying out the synthesis method as a reference method and for decreasing the average diameter of the nanotube: decreasing the second temperature and/or decreasing the reaction time and/or increasing the concentration of H.sub.2 in the forming gas in relation to the reference method. Or, for increasing the average diameter of the nanotube: increasing the second temperature and/or increasing the reaction time and/or decreasing the concentration of H.sub.2 in the forming gas in relation to the reference method.

A process for purifying raw carbon nanotubes to obtain a content in metallic impurities of between 5 ppm and 200 ppm. The process includes an increase in the bulk density of the raw carbon nanotubes via compacting to produce compacted carbon nanotubes. The process further includes sintering the compacted carbon nanotubes by undergoing thermal treatment under gaseous atmosphere in order to remove at least a portion of the metallic impurities contained in the raw carbon nanotubes, and consequently producing purified carbon nanotubes. These purified carbon nanotubes are directly usable as electronic conductors serving as basis additive to an electrode material without requiring any subsequent purification step. The electrode material can then be used to manufacture an electrode destined to a lithium-ion battery.