Polymeric materials incorporating carbon nanostructures

1. A composite material comprising:

a polymeric material comprising a polymer or a polymerizable material; and

a plurality of carbon nanospheres dispersed in the polymeric material,

wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.1% by weight of the composite material,

wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise hollow, multi-walled particles having multiple graphitic layers with an outer diameter of less than about 1 micron,

wherein the carbon nanospheres have an absence of surface functional groups.

2. A composite material as in claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.5% by weight of the composite material.

3. A composite material as in claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 1% by weight of the composite material.

4. A composite material as in claim 1 , further comprising carbon nanomaterials other than and in addition to the carbon nanospheres, wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 2% by weight of the total amount of carbon nanomaterial in the composite.

5. A composite material as in claim 4 , wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 3% by weight of the total amount of carbon nanomaterial in the composite.

6. A composite material as in claim 4 , wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 15% by weight of the total amount of carbon nanomaterial in the composite.

7. A composite material as in claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamines, polyacrylates, polybutadienes, polybutylenes, polyethylenes, polyethylenechlorinates, ethylene vinyl alcohols, fluoropolymers, ionomers, polymethylpentenes, polypropylenes, polystyrenes, polyvinylchlorides, polyvinylidene chlorides, polycondensates, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyaryletherketones, polycarbonates, polyketones, polyetheretherketones, polyetherimides, polyethersulfones, polyimides, polyphenylene oxides, polyphenylene sulfides, polyphthalamides, polythalimides, polysulfones, polyarylsulfones allyl resins, melamine resins, phenol-formaldehyde resins, liquid crystal polymers, polyolefins, polyesters, silicones, polyurethanes, epoxies, cellulosic polymers, and combinations thereof.

8. A composite material as in claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermo-plastic polymeric material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-ethylene/propylene-styrene, methylmethacrylate-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-methylmethacrylate-styrene, acrylonitrile-n-butylacrylate-styrene, rubber modified polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethyl-methacrylate, polyvinylchloride, cellulose-acetate resin, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyphenyleneoxide, polyketone, polysulphone, polyphenylenesulfide, fluoride resin, silicone, polyimide, polybenzimidazole, polyamide elastomer, and combinations thereof.

9. A composite material as in claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermo-setting polymeric material selected from the group consisting of phenol resin, urea resin, melamine-formaldehyde resin, urea-formaldehyde latex, xylene resin, diallylphthalate resin, epoxy resin, aniline resin, furan resin, polyurethane, and combinations thereof.

10. A composite material comprising a polymeric material comprised of a polymer or a polymerizable material and a carbon nanomaterial mixed therewith, wherein the carbon nanomaterial comprises carbon nanospheres that include hollow, multi-walled particles having multiple graphitic layers with an outer diameter of less than about 1 micron and have an absence of surface functional groups, wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.1% by weight of the composite material, wherein the carbon nanomaterial is manufactured according to a method comprising:

forming a precursor mixture comprising a carbon precursor and a plurality of templating nanoparticles, the templating nanoparticles comprising a catalytic metal;

carbonizing the precursor mixture to form an intermediate carbon material comprising a plurality of carbon nanostructures, amorphous carbon, and optionally remaining catalytic metal;

purifying the intermediate carbon material by removing at least a portion of the amorphous carbon and optionally a portion of remaining catalytic metal to yield a purified intermediate carbon material comprising carbon nanospheres; and

removing functional groups from a surface of the purified intermediate carbon material.

11. A composite material as in claim 10 , wherein removing functional groups from a surface of the purified intermediate carbon material comprises:

(i) heating the purified intermediate carbon material to a temperature greater than about 100° C.; and/or

(ii) treating the purified intermediate carbon material with a base.

12. A composite material as in claim 11 , wherein removing functional groups from a surface of the purified intermediate carbon material comprises heating the purified intermediate carbon material to a temperature greater than about 200° C.

13. A composite material as in claim 11 , wherein removing functional groups from a surface of the purified intermediate carbon material comprises heating the purified intermediate carbon material to a temperature greater than about 500° C.

14. A composite material as in claim 11 , wherein removing functional groups from a surface of the purified intermediate carbon material comprises heating the purified intermediate carbon to a temperature greater than about 1000° C.

15. A composite material as in claim 11 , wherein removing functional groups from a surface of the purified intermediate carbon material comprises treating the purified intermediate carbon material with sodium hydroxide and/or potassium hydroxide.

16. A composite material as in claim 10 , wherein the composite comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-ethylene/propylene-styrene, methylmethacrylate-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-methylmethacrylate-styrene, acrylonitrile-n-butylacrylate-styrene, rubber modified polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethyl-methacrylate, polyvinylchloride, cellulose-acetate resin, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyphenyleneoxide, polyketone, polysulphone, polyphenylenesulfide, fluoride resin, silicone, polyimide, polybenzimidazole, polyamide elastomer, and combinations thereof.

17. A composite material comprising a polymer and a carbon nanomaterial mixed therewith, wherein the composite material is manufactured according to a method comprising:

heating a thermoplastic polymer to a temperature above the polymer's melting point or glass transition temperature;

mixing between about 1% and about 50% by weight of a graphitic material into the heated polymer, the graphitic material comprising greater than 3% by weight of carbon nanospheres, the carbon nanospheres comprising hollow, multi-walled particles having multiple graphitic layers with an outer diameter of less than about 1 micron and having an absence of surface functional groups; and

allowing the thermoplastic polymer to cool to yield the composite material,

wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.1% by weight of the composite material.

18. A composite material as in claim 17 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-ethylene/propylene-styrene, methylmethacrylate-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-methylmethacrylate-styrene, acrylonitrile-n-butylacrylate-styrene, rubber modified polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethyl-methacrylate, polyvinylchloride, cellulose-acetate resin, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyphenyleneoxide, polyketone, polysulphone, polyphenylenesulfide, fluoride resin, silicone, polyimide, polybenzimidazole, polyamide elastomer, and combinations thereof.

19. A composite material as in claim 17 , wherein the carbon nanospheres are manufactured by a method comprising:

(i) forming one or more intermediate carbon nanospheres by polymerizing a carbon precursor in the presence of a plurality of templating nanoparticles;

(ii) carbonizing the intermediate carbon nanospheres to form a plurality of composite nanostructures; and

(iii) optionally removing the templating nanoparticles from the composite nanostructures to yield the carbon nanospheres.

20. A composite material as in claim 19 , wherein the templating nanoparticles comprise at least one of iron, nickel, or cobalt.

21. A composite material as in claim 19 , wherein carbonization is carried out at a temperature between about 500° C. and about 2500° C.

22. A composite material as in claim 19 , wherein the templating nanoparticles are removed from the composite nanostructure by etching with an acid, a base, or both.

23. A composite material comprising a polymer and a graphitic material mixed therewith, wherein the composite material is manufactured according to a method comprising:

mixing between about 1% and 50% by weight of a graphitic material with a polymerizable material, the graphitic material comprising at least about 3% by weight of carbon nanospheres, the carbon nanospheres comprising hollow, multi-walled particles having multiple graphitic layers with an outer diameter of less than about 1 micron and an absence of surface functional groups; and

polymerizing the polymerizable material to form a polymeric material having the carbon nanospheres dispersed therein,

wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.1% by weight of the composite material.

24. A composite material as in claim 23 , wherein the polymerizable material comprises a monomer or oligomer suitable for forming a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates, polybutadienes, polybutylenes, polyethylenes, polyethylenechlorinates, ethylene vinyl alcohols, fluoropolymers, ionomers, polymethylpentenes, polypropylenes, polystyrenes, polyvinylchlorides, polyvinylidene chlorides, polycondensates, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyaryletherketones, polycarbonates, polyketones, polyetheretherketones, polyetherimides, polyethersulfones, polyimides, polyphenylene oxides, polyphenylene sulfides, polyphthalamides, polythalimides, polysulfones, polyarylsulfones allyl resins, melamine resins, formaldehyde resins, liquid crystal polymers, polyolefins, polyesters, silicones, polyurethanes, epoxies, cellulosic polymers, and combinations thereof.

25. A composite material comprising:

a polymeric material comprising a polymer or a polymerizable material; and

a plurality of carbon nanospheres dispersed in the polymeric material,

wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.1% by weight of the composite material,

wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise hollow, multi-walled graphitic particles having multiple graphitic layers and a BET specific surface area greater than about 120 m 2 /g,

wherein the carbon nanospheres have an outer diameter of less than about 1 micron and an absence of surface functional groups.