Building a Nano-Yarn

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01/07/2011

Jan. 07, 2011

Building a Nano-Yarn

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Researchers describe a new way to create yarns containing exotic materials, from battery ingredients to catalysts to superconductors. Writing in the journal Science, the researchers describe using small amounts of carbon nanotubes as a support material, coating the tube layer with nanoparticles of various materials, then twisting the tube+particle assembly into yarns. Those yarns could then be woven or sewn -- and even held onto their particle ingredients when run through the washing machine. We'll talk about building functional fabrics, and the materials that these advanced yarns might allow.

Produced by Christopher Intagliata, Associate Senior Producer

Guests

Ray Baughman
Director, NanoTech Institute

Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry

University of Texas at Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Discussion

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