Development of carbon nanotube/copper composite yarn by electrodeposition and evaluation of ampacity

Abstract

Carbon nanotube yarn, which is an aggregate form of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), is expected to be practically used as a lightweight wiring material. In recent years, CNT/metal composite yarn has been fabricated for making the CNT yarn highly conductive. While improving conductivity in the CNT/metal composite yarns, current capacity, which determines durable current value of the wiring material, has not reached practical value. In this study, composite material of untwisted CNT yarn and copper was fabricated by plating treatment for the purpose of creating a lightweight wiring with larger ampacity than metal wiring. In addition, CNT/copper composite yarns having different composite structures were fabricated and the relationships between the composite structure and electric characteristics were evaluated. One of the composite yarns had a two-layer structure in which copper was deposited on the surface of the CNT yarn, and the other had a structure in which copper precipitated to the inside of the CNT yarn. As a result of the plating treatment using a copper sulfate bath, current capacity of the composite yarn reached 6.87×108 A/m2 at the copper volume fraction of 28.9%, and the specific current capacity was 1.29 times larger than copper wire. From evaluation of the fracture mechanism, it was revealed that combustion of the CNTs and melting of the metal part were suppressed by combining the CNT yarn with copper, and it led to the large ampacity. In addition, it was possible to electroplate inside of the yarn by adding a dipping step to the plating process. In the case of the composite yarn plated the inside, an increase in resistance under large current was suppressed and further improvement of the current capacity was achieved.

Keywords

• carbon nanotube
• electro deposition
• current capacity
• composite yarn
• conductivity