Conductive fibre applications

Particular examples of using polymer composites as screens are given in [14-16, 67-75], The present review does not touch the properties of the composite materials based on fabrics of conducting fibres due to the fact that manufacturing techniques for such materials are specific and differ greatly from the mixing processes considered above. However, these materials also have an application field, say, in contacts for calculator and computer keyboards [9] and even in small-power electric motor commutators as a partial substitute for copper [76, 77]. 

Electromagnetic interface shielding is the most common application. Conductive fibres braided into a shield or sock offer superior performance against electromagnetic interference, and they present the following advantages ... 

One example of such smart textile applications is in health monitoring [50]. Placement of electrically conducting fibres in smart material clothing can be... 

Bowman, D., and B.R. Mattes. 2005. Conductive fibre prepared from ultra-high molecular weight polyaniline for smart fabric and interactive textile applications. Synth Met 154 9. 

The required set of properties for the materials used in the GTWM (comfort fibres, conducting fibres, optical fibres, etc.) will depend on the application, the sensor suite, etc. For example, chemical resistance will be necessary for fibres used in fire-fighting applications however, chemical resistance is not very important when it comes to using these fibres in baby clothes. Likewise, to... 

Carbon fibre-reinforced composites prepared from carbon tows can be used in sensing networks due to their conductivity. Other conductive fibre-based composites can also be used for this type of application. It is essential to understand the deformation mechanism of the reinforcement before adopting such an approach for structural health monitoring. The efficiency and validity of the sensing mechanism can be affected by any anomaly in the deformation mechanism (Wilusz, 2008). 

In conclusion, wc have shown the interesting information which one can get from electrical resistivity measurements on SWCNT and MWCNT and the exciting applications which can be derived. MWCNTs behave as an ultimate carbon fibre revealing specific 2D quantum transport features at low temperatures weak localisation and universal conductance fluctuations. SWCNTs behave as pure quantum wires which, if limited in length, reduce to quantum dots. Thus, each type of CNT has its own features which are strongly dependent on the dimensionality of the electronic gas. We have also briefly discussed the very recent experimental results obtained on the thermopower of SWCNT bundles and the effect of intercalation on the electrical resistivity of these systems. 

Many other opportunities exist due to the enormous flexibility of the preparative method, and the ability to incorporate many different species. Very recently, a great deal of work has been published concerning methods of producing these materials with specific physical forms, such as spheres, discs and fibres. Such possibilities will pave the way to new application areas such as molecular wires, where the silica fibre acts as an insulator, and the inside of the pore is filled with a metal or indeed a conducting polymer, such that nanoscale wires and electronic devices can be fabricated. Initial work on the production of highly porous electrodes has already been successfully carried out, and the extension to uni-directional bundles of wires will no doubt soon follow. 

An important application of polydimethylsilane is as a source of silicon carbide (SiC) fibres, which are manufactured under the trade-name Nicalon by Nippon Carbon in Japan. Heating in an autoclave under pressure converts polydimethylsilane to spinnable polycarbosilane (-Me2Si-CH2-) with elimination of methane. The spun fibres are then subjected to temperatures of 1200-1400 °C to produce silicon carbide fibres with very high tensile strengths and elastic moduli." As a result of their conductivity, polysilanes have also been used as hole transport layers in electroluminescent devices. In addition, the photoconductivity of polymethylphenylsilane doped with Cgo has been found to be particularly impressive. ... 

Laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) In 1983, S.G. Bown applied this technique for the first time as minimally invasive percutaneous ablation therapy. By means of quartz fibres, Nd YAG laser light (1,064 nm) is conducted directly into the tumour via a probe. The laser light is converted into heat, thus causing a coagulation necrosis of the tumour. Necroses of up to 4(-5) cm in diameter may result. Probe application is carried out by MR-guiding this technique is also used for monitoring success. The procedure is considered to be both safe and efficacious. (45, 129) (s. p. 800)... 

Recently, both the fundamentals of CO2 adsorption and its applicability are gaining interest [9-13]. From studies conducted with activated carbons and activated carbon fibres [9,10], CO2 adsorption at 273K and at sub-atmospheric pressures has been proposed as an appropriate alternative to assess the ultramicroporosity [10,11]. Despite that N2 and CO2 have similar critical dimensions, since CO2 adsorption is carried out at a temperature higher than its boiling point the gas molecules can enter the narrowest porosity of the solid [4,8-13]. 

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