Continuous fiber of fullerene nanotubes
This invention relates generally to carbon fiber produced from fullerene nanotube arrays. In one embodiment, the present invention involves a macroscopic carbon fiber comprising at least 10 6 fullerene nanotubes in generally parallel orientation.
1. A macroscopic carbon fiber comprising at least about 10 6 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.
2. The fiber of claim 1 comprising at least about 10 9 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.
3. A composite fiber comprising a plurality of macroscopic carbon fibers, wherein the macroscopic carbon fibers comprises at least about 10 6 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.
4. The fiber of claim 1 having a length of at least 1 millimeter.
5. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the fullerene nanotubes are arranged in a regular angular lattice.
6. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the fiber has a cross sectional dimension of at least one micron.
7. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the fiber has a cross sectional dimension in the range between about one micron and about ten microns.
8. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the fiber is at least one millimeter in length.
9. A high voltage power transmission cable wherein at least one conductor comprises a continuous carbon fiber, wherein the continuous carbon fiber comprises at least about 10 6 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.
10. A spun thread comprising a plurality of macroscopic carbon fibers, wherein at least some of the plurality of the macroscopic carbon fibers comprise at least about 10 6 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.
11. A yarn comprising a plurality of macroscopic carbon fibers, wherein at least some of the plurality of the macroscopic carbon fibers comprise at least about 10 6 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.