Buckypaper: The Material of The Future [PICS]

Maybe the next Macbook Pro or Apple AIR will take advantage of this material. Here is an overview:

Buckypaper is a thin sheet made from an aggregate of carbon nanotubes.[1] The nanotubes are approximately 50,000 times thinner than a human hair.[1] Originally, it was fabricated as a way to handle carbon nanotubes, but in 2008 is being studied and developed into applications by several research groups, showing promise as a building material for aerospace vehicles, body armor and next-generation electronics and displays.

Buckypaper is a macroscopic aggregate of carbon nanotubes, or “buckytubes”. The idea for buckypaper came when British scientist Harry Kroto and Rice University scientists were attempting to create the conditions found in a star when it forms elemental carbon. It owes its name to buckminsterfullerene, the 60 carbon fullerene (an allotrope of carbon with similar bonding that is sometimes referred to as a “Buckyball” in honor of R. Buckminster Fuller).

Some Facts:

* If exposed to an electric charge, buckypaper could be used to illuminate computer and television screens. It would be more energy-efficient, lighter, and would allow for a more uniform level of brightness than current cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) technology.

* As one of the most thermally conductive materials known, buckypaper lends itself to the development of heat sinks that would allow computers and other electronic equipment to disperse heat more efficiently than is currently possible. This, in turn, could lead to even greater advances in electronic miniaturization.

* Because it has an unusually high current-carrying capacity, a film made from buckypaper could be applied to the exteriors of airplanes. Lightning strikes then would flow around the plane and dissipate without causing damage.

* Films also could protect electronic circuits and devices within airplanes from electromagnetic interference, which can damage equipment and alter settings. Similarly, such films could allow military aircraft to shield their electromagnetic “signatures,” which can be detected via radar.

Links

http://www.buckypaper.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckypaper

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