Circular Carbon Nanotube Production for Advanced Structural Fiber Applications

作者：Xiao Sun, Di Chang, Varunkumar Thippanna, Xiaoli Li, Aidin Panahi, Huidong Dai, H. C. Wang, Jianlin Li, Yunzheng Yang, Arunachalam Ramanathan, Wentao Liang, Yiannis A. Levendis, Kenan Song, Marilyn L. Minus · 发表于：ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1021/acsami.5c16868 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Fiber-reinforced polymer composites、Carbon Nanotubes in Composites、Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites

Plastic waste accumulation remains a global challenge, with only a small fraction currently being recycled. Upcycling postconsumer plastics into value-added materials offers a sustainable solution for waste reduction and advanced manufacturing. In this study, we demonstrate a cost-effective method for synthesizing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) from postconsumer plastics via catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The waste-derived MWCNTs were incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) through wet spinning to fabricate high-performance composite fibers. Compared to conventional PAN-based fibers that use commercially sourced CNTs, which often contain residual catalysts that weaken performance, the synthesized MWCNTs exhibit lower metal content and enhanced crystallinity (66%), reducing defects and improving composite integrity. The resulting PAN-MWCNT fibers achieved a Young's modulus of 13.4 GPa and tensile strength of 941 MPa. This work provides a dual benefit: mitigating plastic waste while producing high-value carbon nanomaterials, offering a sustainable route to manufacture lightweight, high-performance fibers applicable in aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.