Tuesday, April 26, 2011

US Patent 7931884 - Welding of single walled CNTs

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7931884.html

This patent from Honda Motor teaches a method of forming large scale interconnection of single walled carbon nanotubes which may be less harsh and cheaper than alternative methods. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for producing interconnected single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), the method comprising:

providing a stationary electromagnetic wave in a microwave cavity, wherein the stationary electromagnetic wave has an electric field component;

positioning a sample of SWNTs in the microwave cavity at a maximum in the electric field and a minimum in a magnetic field; and

exposing the sample to a microwave field at a temperature less than 1400° C. to produce the interconnected single-walled carbon nanotubes.

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