Copper-Carbon Nanotube Fibers Composite Wires

Catalog	ACMA00030898
Description	Copper/carbon nanotube composites (Cu/CNT composites) is produced for the demand of lighter copper substitutes with superior electrical, thermal and mechanical performances. They are used in many industries and vehicles such as automobiles and aircrafts in order to enhance fuel efficiencies. In electronics, they offer better interconnection and thermal management than copper with higher current- and heat-stabilities to enable device miniaturization with increased functionality. This material is highly functional, efficient, and sustainable for the next-generation electrical and electronics systems.
Conductivity	1x10^7 S/m
Feature	Cu-CNT, Diameter: 10-30 µm, Coating Thickness: 1 µm, Electrical conductivity: 1x10^7 S/m
Fiber Diameter	10-30 µm

Case Study

Copper-Carbon Nanotube Composite Fibers for Lightweight Conductive Applications

Xu, LeLe, et al. ACS nano 17.10 (2023): 9245-9254.

Challenge: Carbon nanotube (CNT)/Cu core-shell fiber is a promising new material for lightweight conductors, but the electrical properties of this hybrid fiber are still not satisfied due to the poor interface interaction between CNT and Cu.
Solution: A composite fiber with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and Cu shell was prepared to further increase the conductivity, decrease the weight, and improve the flexibility. A dense and uniform Cu shell was coated on the surface of wet-spun SWCNT fibers through a synergistic process of magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition.
Key Results:
· Specific Electrical Conductivity: SWCNT/Cu composite fibers exhibit a high specific electrical conductivity value of (1.01 ± 0.04) × 10⁴ S·m²·kg^-1-around 56% higher than that of bulk copper. This value is increased due to the synergistic effect between the low density of CNT and conductive Cu shell.
· Mechanical Flexibility: The composite fibers maintain their structure and electrical performance even after 5,000 bending cycles, exhibiting excellent mechanical durability when compared to traditional metal wires.
· Current-Carrying Capacity: Up to 3.14 × 10⁵ A·cm^-2 high current density can be supported by coaxial fibers, three times as much as copper wires.

Electrospun Copper-Carbon Nanotube Composite Fibers for High-Stability Transparent Conductive Electrodes

Daneshvar, Farhad, et al. ACS Applied Electronic Materials 2.9 (2020): 2692-2698.

Challenge: Metal nanowire networks (NWs) have great potential to replace metal oxide films in transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs), but the stability is very low under practical working conditions.
Solution: Fabricate Cu-CNT composite fibers with strong interfacial bonding, high aspect ratio and excellent stability to temperature and current stress while preserving optical transparency.
Key Results:
· CNT/Cu composite fibers were prepared using electrospinning technology, with cysteine grafted onto the CNT surface to improve the interaction between CNTs and Cu.
· Electrical Conductivity: Individual CNT/Cu fibers had a conductivity of 2.4 × 10⁶ S·m^-1.
· Ampacity: Maximum current density was 6.4 × 10⁵ A·cm^-2.
· Sheet Resistance & Transparency: Electrospun fiber mats had a sheet resistance of 39 Ω·sq^-1 at 81% optical transmittance, comparable to commercial ITO-based TCEs.
· Operational Stability: In contrast to conventional metal nanowire TCEs, CNT/Cu fibers exhibited stable optoelectronic properties at high temperatures and current densities.