Carbon Nanotube Technology as an Option for Future Computing Devices

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer the potential for radical transformation of future electronics as they exhibit conductivity, semiconductor and mechanical properties that far exceed those of traditional materials. They thus offer wide opportunities for novel computing devices, especially those required to be small and light, such as wearables. They also offer environmental advantages by reducing energy demand in manufacture and use. A practical investigation is reported, focusing on microwave processing of a CNT composite sample. A significant reduction in energy consumption in manufacture while increasing mechanical and electrical performance is deduced, suitable for low power wearable, wireless computing devices. However, CNTs inherently suffer from flaws such as the tendency for nanoparticle agglomerations to form due to strong covalent bonds, and other uncertainties in nanoparticle behaviour. This experimental study demonstrates that microwave processing of CNT composites can reduce the power consumption and the temperature generated during the manufacturing process.