Description

Copper is a key element in many electrical devices, but its resistance leads to power losses, meaning that new low-resistance conductors are needed in order to meet current clean energy goals.

ORNL researchers have developed an ultraconductive copper-carbon nanotube composite, or UCC, as an alternative that improves on the mechanical and electrical properties of pure copper. The product, made of carbon nanotubes integrated within a copper matrix, has high mechanical strength and excellent electrical properties.

The UCC composites have a number of applications in electric vehicles, power grids and data transfer systems for network server and aerospace purposes. They may also be used to reduce recharging times for electric vehicle batteries, or to build smaller, lighter motors with higher power output.

In addition to offering improved electrical and mechanical properties, the manufacturing process used to produce the UCC conductors is also easily scalable to industrial production.

Funding for this project was primarily provided by the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office and the ORNL Technology Innovation Program. A portion of the research was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science user facility.

ORNL’s Tolga Aytug led the research, with help from Kai Li, Burak Ozpineci, Michael McGuire, Fred List, Soydan Ozcan, Lydia Skolrood (now a graduate student at North Carolina State University), Ilia Ivanov, Mina Yoon and Andrew Lupini.

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