Mei Zhang

Abstract:

Nanocarbon foam is a carbon nanotube based all carbon porous material. It consists of large numbers of micro-scale cells and sub-micro thick walls with nano-scale pores. Because of their unique structures, the nanocarbon foams show high capillary pressure, super-absorption, large working fluid storage, and fast fluid transfer capabilities. They are also conductive, lightweight, stable, and flexible. These features allow nanocarbon foams to be a novel wick material for thermal management products and have a better performance than current wick materials. The simple and scalable fabrication process could lead to low cost and high quality device manufacturing. The lightweight, super-elastic, and high stability properties of nanocarbon foams make them a unique alternative for the thermal management of portable and flexible electronic devices. In addition to thermal management, other applications of nanocarbon foams include use in electrodes for advanced batteries, in fuel cells, in pressure sensors, and in scaffolds for medical treatments. The detailed fabrication process, property characterization, and potential applications will be presented.