Ultra-tough buckypapers could build planes, trains and automobiles

Not to get too nano-technical on you this Saturday afternoon, but you're probably going to want to be briefed on these newfangled macroscopic aggregates commonly referred to as buckypapers. The devices, which are reportedly involved in a long-term undercover relationship with those buckyballs you discussed in 10th grade chemistry class, are ridiculously tough (albeit lightweight) sheets of matter made from intertwined carbon nanotubes. Put simply, these composites could see uses in making more efficient heat sinks, lighter background illumination material for displays and (at least in theory) transportation of the future. For now, buckypapers are being made exclusively in university laboratories, but Florida State is already in the process of spinning out a firm to make them commercially. Do we see the makings of a new and improved Project Grizzly suit? Our signs are pointing to yes.

[Via Yahoo!]

[tydei8 @ Oct 19th 2008 10:10AM]

I don't know where you are, but in my reality Oct 19th is Sunday, not Saturday.

[deyanimay @ Oct 19th 2008 10:14AM]

And it morning not afternoon.

[Erb @ Oct 19th 2008 10:18AM]

@deyanimay
Timezones.

[Jack H @ Oct 19th 2008 10:47AM]

@ Erb
unless they are in a different continent it is morning here in the US of A

[Mikey @ Oct 19th 2008 11:33AM]

@ Erb

The time stamp under the title is of slightly after 10 am. Last time I checked that was still in the morning.

[icepop4who @ Oct 19th 2008 12:51PM]

lllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggg

[slowerpig81 @ Oct 19th 2008 12:55PM]

And nowhere in the world is it still Saturday.

[Charlie Calhoun @ Oct 19th 2008 2:33PM]

Well, I'm glad we're all in agreement.

[Mystech @ Oct 19th 2008 10:27AM]

How will it degrade? Will it become another plastic ocean?

[Labrador @ Oct 19th 2008 10:27AM]

What about the health risks? Will this be the next fiberglass or the next asbestos?

[ill trooper @ Oct 20th 2008 4:24AM]

Your comment reminded me of the older brother's respiratory trouble in the book 'Diamond Age', caused by inhaling to much nano-tech.

[Wwhat @ Oct 20th 2008 12:30PM]

Yes actually, tests have shown that nano fibres land in the longs and system via ingestion and your system is at a loss on how to deal with it and it tends to accumulate it I read, the question is will it give you tumors/cancer? That's hard to answer since as we know from asbestos that can take 30 years to find out, so caution is the best way to go and you better not drill or saw in such stuff without some quality dustmask that can catch the tiniest particles, and make sure you save the receipt for a few decades so you can sue the company and leave your family with some money.

[rndmnme @ Oct 19th 2008 11:01AM]

I can hear it now....


"Yo! You needs to get that bucky hood son. It makes your ride extra light, dog!"

[Samboini @ Oct 19th 2008 11:28AM]

No. Just no.

[gonintendo @ Oct 19th 2008 11:48AM]

Yes. Just yes.

[scott @ Oct 19th 2008 11:59AM]

no no no no

it's dawg.


effin' wack yo'.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Oct 19th 2008 11:57AM]

Bucky Balls and now Bucky paper, almost got a good game all now we need are Bucky scissors. But I guess they have them to cut this uber strong paper. I wonder if mass marketed would they be good for rolling joints. You know the drill, Fill it to the tip but watch it never burn down. Bucky Bats they'll be called.

[Swissatlantic Securitiesag @ Oct 19th 2008 12:19PM]

Interesting. Worth researching.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Oct 19th 2008 9:29PM]

Those Japanese might get their space elevator sooner rather than later. I'm not an expert on CNT's, but from my general knowledge, this novel way of "braiding" (for lack of a better term) them together would seem to immediately precede allowing the weaving of these buckypapers into rope/cable like forms and then the inevitable tether to an orbiting object.

There do seem to be some legitimate health concerns regarding CNT's (the human body has not evolved a mechanism of dealing with ridding itself of them) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/science/21nano.html

In any case, research away. Besides, the sooner we get a space elevator the sooner we can start reliably disposing of our nuclear waste into space, Superman IV style.

[decapitor @ Oct 19th 2008 12:34PM]

carbon nanotubes=asbestos v2.0

[JeffDM @ Oct 19th 2008 1:17PM]

I don't think carbon nanotubes & bucky papers will necessarily be carcinogens, though it should be tested before this stuff is widely used. But carbon can generally be broken down biologically. Some flames also create buckyballs.

[Wwhat @ Oct 20th 2008 12:36PM]

I read in a bit about a doctor that warned about it that nano fibres are actually to strange/tiny to be absorbed as normal and just sit there in tissue, a bit alarming I think since that's what asbestos does in lungs until it does the right kind of damage to some cells and you start to die in a horrible way, although it doesn't seem to be aggressive and damaging like asbestos right now and it might be harmless.
Mind you I read that some time ago now and I'm sure a lot more research has been done.

[ssrat_ @ Oct 19th 2008 2:00PM]

About some damn time we start rethinking buckyballs, it seems that they went through a brief fling for house design then were left alone (at least publicly) to languish.

I think as far as carcinogenic, it is almost guaranteed that it will be tested for adverse effects, considering how easy and "cheap" it is to do so nowadays (snip, burn, analyze)

Also be nice to see how biodegradable this stuff might be as well (depending on how cheap, replacing car bodies)

[kakapo @ Oct 19th 2008 2:13PM]

I guess what I find most amusing about all of the hype, FUD and SNAFU talk is that nanotechnology has been around since the bronze age (or earlier) - it is just a new pig with Sarah Plain's lip stick (or is that schtick) on.

We just couldn't see what we were doing. Now we can - sorta - so now we need to know how it will harm us or how long will it take to bio-degrade or some other poppycock.

Reality is we are just catching up to the magnificence of the 'very small" and discovering that there is a lot of room down there.

Our research team has developed a new technology for cooling using SWCNTs and Graphene... It is amazing what we can do with $$$ and time. One of the members of the team discussed the CNT entanglement process and how water might help in 2002. Nice to see results.

Cheers, Mates and it is Monday here in Oz. :)

[Nick8708 @ Oct 19th 2008 7:56PM]

Things have existed on the nano-scale forever, but what "nano-technology" existed in the bronze age? Technology is man-made; what man-made things were on the nanoscale back then?

[Twitchy @ Oct 20th 2008 3:11AM]

I dislike Mondays - thank god it's almost Tuesday here in NZ.

[chadplusplus @ Oct 20th 2008 4:05PM]

Bronze age nanotech? I don't know about bronze age... but per wikipedia, there is some speculation that blacksmiths unwittingly fumble upon them while forging damascus steel (1100-1700).

[grex9101 @ Oct 19th 2008 4:05PM]

bucky o'Hare!!!

Let's croak us some toads!

(apologies for the obscure cartoon reference :p)

[gt2378b @ Oct 19th 2008 5:51PM]

It's not that obscure -- remember where you are my friend.

[noyp @ Oct 19th 2008 7:10PM]

since I didn't get it, am I not a geek/nerd?

[htd @ Oct 19th 2008 4:39PM]

any way to align steel atoms? I heard that would extremely strong material...

[Jay Vaughan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:29AM]

Damascan steel utilizes nano-technology.

My opinion: lets build the freakin' paper-tower to the moon already. We won't have to worry about carbon buckyball-derived diseases if we can escape to far deadlier places to polute.