EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/H007598/1
Title: Large-scale solvent-free functionalisation of carbon nanotubes
Principal Investigator: Shaffer, Professor M
Other Investigators:
Bismarck, Professor A
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Thomas Swan
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Follow on Fund
Starts: 01 October 2009 Ends: 30 September 2010 Value (£): 118,981
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation Materials Processing
Materials testing & eng.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
01 May 2009 Follow on Fund 6 Panel (TECH) Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Due to their unique properties, carbon nanotubes are critical enabling materials in a wide range of applications, ranging from advanced polymer composites, to battery electrodes. They are already produced in tonne quantities and the market is growing rapidly. However, in order to optimise their processing and performance it is necessary to modify their surface chemically. Current chemical techniques are slow, wasteful, and typically operate at a small scale; they are fundamentally ill-suited to the industrial production of CVD nanotubes where plant capacity is often on the order of 100 tonnes pa. We have developed a versatile, rapid, and clean approach to nanotube modification that we believe to be inherently scalable and compatible with existing nanotube production facilities. The proposed project will demonstrate this scalability and provide samples of modified nanotubes with a range of value-adding properties. These examples will be selected both to satisfy the requirements of existing nanotube users, and to stimulate new markets that depend on larger volumes of modified nanotubes than are currently available. With this proof-of-concept data in place, our patented technology will be exploited in order to create a new generation of nanotube-based products.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk