CN115196626A

CN115196626A - Columnar carbon and graphene plate lattice composite material

Info

Publication number: CN115196626A
Application number: CN202210349342.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 布莱恩·迈克尔·帕克
Original assignee: Gravel Industries LLC
Current assignee: Gravel Industries LLC
Priority date: 2021-04-01
Filing date: 2022-04-01
Publication date: 2022-10-18

Abstract

The present application relates to columnar carbon and graphene platelet composites. Disclosed herein are pristine graphene sheets having pillars formed of fullerene nanotubes between the graphene sheets for use as body armor, semiconductors, battery anodes, solar panels, heat sinks, structural concrete members, structural steel members, prefabricated concrete structural members, bridges, highways, streets, skyscrapers, sidewalks, foundations, dams, industrial plants, canals, airports, structural composites, airplanes, military equipment, and civil infrastructure.

Description

Columnar carbon and graphene plate lattice composite material

Background

Fullerenes are carbon molecules consisting of carbon atoms connected by single and double bonds, forming a closed or partially closed network with fused rings of five to seven atoms. The molecule may be a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, tube, or many other shapes and sizes. For example, graphene is a one atom thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice to form a flat network. Graphene is referred to as a constituent of graphite. Graphene is the thinnest material known to man to be one atom thick, is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and has interesting light absorbing capabilities.

Carbon atoms can form cylindrical hollow tubes (carbon nanotubes "CNTs") with diameters from about 1 nanometer up to tens of nanometers, and lengths up to several millimeters. The unique one-dimensional structure and attendant properties are unique to carbon nanotubes and can offer infinite potential in nanotechnology related applications.

Disclosed herein is a composite material comprising a new and unique combination of graphene sheets and carbon nanotubes. The novel columnar carbon and graphene plate lattice composites disclosed herein can be used as, but are not limited to, battery anodes, body armor, heat sinks, electrical conductors, and structural building system materials.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are related to the technology, which is a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features.

In some aspects, a composite material is disclosed. The material may include a first graphene sheet, a second graphene sheet, and more than one fullerene may be positioned or deposited on the first graphene sheet, and the second graphene sheet may then be positioned on top of the fullerene. In some examples, the material may include multiple layers of graphene sheets, with multiple fullerenes positioned between each graphene layer. In other examples, fullerenes may be converted to carbon nanotubes. In still other examples, the fullerenes may be positioned on graphene sheets with spacing between individual fullerenes from about 0.5nm to about 2nm. In yet other examples, the fullerenes may be located on graphene sheets with a spacing between individual fullerenes of at least 0.5nm. In some examples, the fullerenes may be positioned on the graphene sheets in a staggered pattern. In other examples, the fullerenes may be staggered relative to fullerenes positioned above and/or below the graphene sheets. In another example, fullerenes may be positioned on graphene sheets in a uniform pattern. In still other examples, the fullerene may have a diameter that may be at least 0.70nm.

In other examples disclosed herein, the material may further include a plurality of fullerenes positioned on the second graphene sheet or deposited on the second graphene sheet, and the third graphene sheet may be positioned on top of the second more than one fullerene. In another example, more than one graphene sheet and a second more than one fullerene may be positioned between the second graphene sheet and the more than one graphene sheet, forming a plurality of layers. For example, when used as an anode in a battery application, the plurality of layers may comprise a thickness of from about 0.25mm to 1.25mm. In some examples, the plurality of layers may include a thickness of at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following: a thickness of about 0.10mm, 0.15mm, 0.20mm, 0.25mm, 0.30mm, 0.35mm, 0.40mm, 0.45mm, 0.50mm, 0.55mm, 0.60mm, 0.65mm, 0.70mm, 0.75mm, 0.80mm, 0.85mm, 0.90mm, 0.95mm, 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, 3.5mm, 4.0mm, 4.5mm to 5.0mm, or any value between about 0.10mm, 0.15mm, 0.20mm, 0.25mm, 0.30mm, 0.35mm, 0.40mm, 0.45mm, 0.50mm, 0.55mm, 0.60mm, 0.65mm, 0.70mm, 0.75mm, 0.80mm, 0.85mm, 0.45mm, 0.50mm, 0.5 mm, 3.5mm, 0.5 mm, 2mm, 3.5mm to 5mm. In other examples, the material may be constructed and arranged as body armor, a heat sink, an electrical conductor, or a component of a structural building system material. When a higher mechanical tendency is required, further layers of the composite material are built up.

In another aspect, a method of forming a composite material is disclosed herein. The method may include depositing more than one fullerene onto a graphene sheet, placing subsequent graphene sheets on top of the more than one fullerene, and applying laser radiation to fuse the more than one fullerene to each graphene sheet, and deforming or converting the fullerenes into carbon nanotubes. In other examples, the method may further include forming multiple layers of graphene sheets, wherein more than one fullerene is fused between each graphene sheet. To achieve the equivalent structural tendencies of ASTM A36 steel, the plurality of layers may include a thickness of from about 0.45mm to 0.60 mm. In some examples, the plurality of layers may include a thickness of at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following: about 0.30mm, 0.31mm, 0.32mm, 0.33mm, 0.34mm, 0.35mm, 0.36mm, 0.37mm, 0.38mm, 0.39mm, 0.40mm, 0.41mm, 0.42mm, 0.43mm, 0.44mm, 0.45mm, 0.46mm, 0.47mm, 0.48mm, 0.49mm, 0.50mm, 0.51mm, 0.52mm, 0.53mm, 0.54mm, 0.55mm, 0.56mm, 0.57mm, 0.58mm, 0.59mm, 0.60mm, 0.61mm, 0.62mm 0.63mm, 0.64mm, 0.65mm, 0.66mm, 0.67mm, 0.68mm, 0.69mm, 0.70mm, 0.71mm, 0.72mm, 0.73mm, 0.74mm, 0.75mm, 0.76mm, 0.77mm, 0.78mm, 0.79mm, 0.80mm, 0.81mm, 0.82mm, 0.83mm, 0.84mm, 0.85mm, 0.86mm, 0.87mm, 0.88mm, 0.89mm, 0.90mm, 0.91mm, 0.92mm, 0.93mm, 0.94mm to 0.95mm, or at about 0.30mm, 0.31mm, 0.32mm, 0.33mm, 0.34mm, 0.35mm, 0.36mm, 0.37mm, 0.38mm, 0.39mm, 0.40mm, 0.41mm, 0.42mm, 0.43mm, 0.44mm, 0.45mm, 0.46mm, 0.47mm, 0.48mm, 0.49mm, 0.50mm, 0.51mm, 0.52mm, 0.53mm, 0.54mm, 0.55mm, 0.56mm, 0.57mm, 0.58mm, 0.59mm, 0.60mm, 0.61mm, 0.62mm, 0.63mm 0.64mm, 0.65mm, 0.66mm, 0.67mm, 0.68mm, 0.69mm, 0.70mm, 0.71mm, 0.72mm, 0.73mm, 0.74mm, 0.75mm, 0.76mm, 0.77mm, 0.78mm, 0.79mm, 0.80mm, 0.81mm, 0.82mm, 0.83mm, 0.84mm, 0.85mm, 0.86mm, 0.87mm, 0.88mm, 0.89mm, 0.90mm, 0.91mm, 0.92mm, 0.93mm, 0.94mm to 0.95 mm. In other examples, the method may further include positioning the graphene sheet and the more than one fullerene together using one or more nanorollers configured to determine a spacing of the more than one fullerene on the graphene sheet. In one example, the fullerenes are located on the graphene sheets at a distance from each other of from about 0.5nm to about 2nm. In another example, fullerenes may be deposited onto graphene sheets at a spacing of at least 0.5nm from each other. In some examples, the fullerenes may be positioned on the graphene sheets in a staggered pattern. In other examples, the fullerenes may be positioned on the graphene sheets in a uniform pattern. In another example, the fullerene may have a diameter of at least 0.70nm.

In still other aspects, disclosed herein is a system for preparing a composite material, which may include at least one nanoscroll configured to deposit or position more than one fullerene onto a graphene sheet, wherein the fullerenes are spaced from each other by 0.5nm to 2.0nm. In some examples, the nanorollers can be configured to place subsequent graphene sheets on top of more than one fullerene. In other examples, the nanorollers can be configured to form multiple layers of graphene sheets with fullerenes positioned between the graphene sheets. In another example, the system may include a laser that may be configured to fuse more than one fullerene to each graphene sheet. In yet another example, the fullerene may be deformed or converted into a carbon nanotube that may have a diameter of at least 0.70nm.

These and additional features will be understood with the benefit of the disclosure discussed in further detail below.

Brief Description of Drawings

This patent or application document contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

A more complete understanding of the features described herein, and the advantages thereof, may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features.

Fig. 1 depicts a workflow diagram of a method of forming a composite material according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure described herein.

Figure 2 illustrates a composite material comprising carbon nanotubes positioned and fused between layered graphene sheets.

Fig. 3A-3D graphically illustrate thermal conductivity of a composite material in the direction of the carbon nanotubes disclosed herein to include the conformation of the graphene layer used for thermal conductivity calculations, the solid spherical ball model from the target graphene layer, the temperature distribution, and the heat flux distribution.

Fig. 4A-4D graphically illustrate thermal conductivity of a composite material in the direction of the graphene sheets disclosed herein to include the conformation of the graphene layer used for thermal conductivity calculations, the solid spherical ball model from the target graphene layer, the temperature distribution, and the heat flux distribution.

Fig. 5 graphically depicts a stress-strain curve for the composite material disclosed herein.

Fig. 6A-6B graphically depict the effect of temperature on tensile testing of a composite material.

Figure 7 graphically depicts the stress-strain curve of the composite compression test.

Fig. 8A to 8D illustrate the results of the fracture test along the graphene layer direction and the carbon nanotube direction.

Fig. 9A-9B graphically illustrate hardness test results by nano-indentation and depict hardness as a function of indentation depth.

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of the geometry of a heat sink test bed (heat sink test bed) constructed from aluminum and the composite material disclosed herein.

Fig. 11 graphically depicts lithium density versus volume expansion in a theoretical comparison of a commercial grade graphene anode and a simulated anode constructed from the composite material disclosed herein.

Fig. 12 illustrates internal energy absorption between the composite material disclosed herein with respect to aramid (Kevlar).

Fig. 13 depicts a summary of results comparing the performance of conventional steel flanges to the performance of composite flanges as disclosed herein.

14A-14C depict a comparison of the performance of a conventional steel I-Beam (Steel I-Beam) with the performance of a composite I-Beam as disclosed herein.

15A-15B depict material and performance comparisons of a conventional steel pressure vessel and a composite pressure vessel as disclosed herein.

Detailed description of the invention

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which are identified above and which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the features described herein may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope described herein. Various features are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

The novel materials disclosed herein may comprise graphene plates or sheets and columnar carbon pillars (i.e., carbon nanotubes). The material exhibits mechanical tendencies and characteristics that replace those of any material comparable to the industry in which it is used. For example, when used in structural building systems, it far exceeds steel, reinforced concrete (steel-reinforced concrete) or any other conventional structural composite material used for structural purposes. Furthermore, the composite material disclosed herein shows superiority when used in electrical applications because its thermal conductivity properties are about twice that of diamond, while it has a capacitance twice that of graphene. Its energy absorption, when used as body armor, is eighteen times that of aramid. The mechanical properties of the material can also be tuned by varying the number of layers (i.e. thickness) and the spacing between the carbon pillars.

Graphene and carbon nanotubes inherently have enormous structural characteristics. Furthermore, both are non-corrosive and exhibit semi-conductive properties. Combining these different forms of carbon together in alternating layers allows continuity of strength and conductivity. The tensile properties of graphene and fullerenes are more than 200 times greater than that of steel, while the density is 15% or less of steel.

The graphene has a tensile strength of about 130GPa and a young's modulus of about 1TPa to 150,000,000psi. Graphene is also an excellent thermal conductor at room temperature (e.g. at (4.84 + -0.44). Times.10 ^3 W.m ^-1 ·K ^-1 To (5.30 +/-0.48) x10 ^ 3W.m ^-1 ·K ^-1 ) And also known have electron mobility values greater than about 200,000cm ² ·V ^-1 ·s ^-1 Of (2) is excellentA conductor. Graphene is also the thinnest compound known to humans to be one atom thick and the lightest material known (with a 1 square meter weight of about 0.77 mg), the strongest compound found (between 100-300 times stronger than steel, with a tensile strength of 130GPa and a young's modulus of about 1TPa-150,000,000psi). Thus, the new composite materials disclosed herein may be several orders of magnitude lighter than their equivalent steel, concrete, or composite material equivalents, and may require less material.

The present inventors have demonstrated, using large-scale atomic/molecular massively parallel simulator (LAMMPS) analysis on this new material, that ideal mechanical properties can be provided layer-by-layer at intervals of about 0.5nm to 2nm and via ideal spacing of the indirectly staggered pillars via optimal patterning, although in some embodiments other spacings and/or spacings may be used in one or more layers and still result in beneficial mechanical properties. Various LAMMPS analyses and Finite Element Analyses (FEA) have been performed and are described below. Surprisingly, the composite materials disclosed herein have demonstrated superior quality and performance compared to current industry standard materials.

The composite materials disclosed herein may include pristine graphene and fullerenes (i.e., carbon nanotubes). "pristine graphene" may refer to graphene that is or is nearly defect-free, and may be used interchangeably herein with "graphene". These materials can be formed together using new nanoscroll that can determine the spacing of fullerenes on the original graphene sheet. The rollers disclosed herein allow for specific placement and arrangement of nanoparticles (e.g., fullerenes) on a solid substrate (e.g., graphene sheets). The structured layer of composite material produced with such an apparatus allows for mechanical tunability of the sample material. By varying the thickness of the layers and the distance between the fullerenes, the properties of the composite material are varied to meet the requirements of use. The nanometer precision of the roller is different from any one that exists today. Some nanoparticles that can be precisely placed onto the rollers include fullerenes and buckminster fullerenes (buckyminsterfullene) or "buckyballs" (i.e., C60 fullerenes), which are in the form of spheres of carbon of varying diameters. A nano-roller press with fullerenes and a nanoparticle feedstock hopper can be manufactured to accommodate nanoparticles of a particular diameter. For example, buckyballs (C60 fullerenes) may be rolled by creating indentations having a radius slightly larger than about 0.7nm, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the buckyballs. In some examples, the diameter may range from about 0.7nm to 0.95 nm. In other examples, the diameter may be at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following: about 0.70nm, 0.71nm, 0.72nm, 0.73nm, 0.74nm, 0.75nm, 0.76nm, 0.77nm, 0.78nm, 0.79nm, 0.80nm, 0.81nm, 0.82nm, 0.83nm, 0.84nm, 0.85nm, 0.86nm, 0.87nm, 0.88nm, 0.89nm, 0.90nm, 0.91nm, 0.92nm, 0.93nm, 0.94nm and 0.95nm, or any number between about 0.70nm, 0.71nm, 0.72nm, 0.73nm, 0.74nm, 0.75nm, 0.76nm, 0.77nm, 0.78nm, 0.79nm, 0.80nm, 0.81nm, 0.82nm, 0.83nm, 0.84nm, 0.85nm, 0.86nm, 0.88nm, 0.90nm, 0.94nm, 0.93nm, 0.95nm and 0.95 nm. The ability to control the spacing of fullerenes on a substrate is important in order to fabricate and synthesize materials that require nanometer-scale precision without material degradation that occurs during chemical etching processes.

Fig. 1 depicts a workflow diagram of a method of forming a composite material using one or more nano-rolls described herein. One, some, or all of the steps of the exemplary method of fig. 1 may be performed by a controller. Additionally or alternatively, one, some, or all of the steps of the example method of fig. 1 may be performed by one or more other computing devices. One or more steps of the example method of fig. 1 may be rearranged (e.g., performed), omitted, and/or otherwise modified, and/or other steps added.

At step 100, a monoatomic thick pristine graphene layer, which may include the layer-by-layer build nanocomposites disclosed herein processed by a nano-roller press (nano-rollers), may be produced via a conveyor oven (coveyor oven) that grows single-layer pristine graphene via liquid-phase copper passing through the oven. See, e.g., graphene grow on Liquid coater Surface, dechao Geng, bin Wu, yunlong Guo, liping Huang, yunzhou Xue, jiannyi Chen, gui Yu, lang Jiang, wenping Hu, yunqi Liu Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 5 months 2012, 109 (21) 7992-7996; DOI 10.1073/pnas.1200339109, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The liquid copper traveling through the furnace may be exposed to a gas mixture, which may be a portion of methane and a portion of hydrogen. The liquid phase copper may be exposed to the gas mixture for a predetermined period of time, which allows for monolayer growth of pristine graphene. Upon reaching the end of its transport, the single layer graphene may be vibrated at a set frequency, whereby the graphene is completely separated from the solid copper substrate and may be accumulated into a roll, which may then be fed into a nano-roller press for composite construction.

At step 102, fullerenes can be deposited onto the bottom graphene sheets. In some configurations, the nanorollers can include indentations configured to position fullerenes on the substrate in a particular pattern and pitch spacing. The fullerenes may be positioned in a uniform pattern or a non-uniform pattern. In other examples, the fullerenes may be positioned in a staggered fashion, or in a linear and matched fashion. In other examples, the fullerenes may be positioned at a set spacing between the fullerenes. For the purpose of maximizing the mechanical properties of the composites herein, the optimal spacing arrangement of the indentations on the rollers of the nanoscroll press for placing fullerenes (e.g., buckyballs) on the graphene sheet substrate may be about 0.5nm to 2.0nm between individual fullerenes. In other examples, the spacing between fullerenes can be, for example, at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following: about 0.1nm, 0.2nm, 0.3nm, 0.4nm, 0.5nm, 0.6nm, 0.7nm, 0.8nm, 0.9nm, 1.0nm, 1.5nm, 2.0nm, 2.5nm, 3.0nm, 3.5nm, 4.0nm, 4.5nm, 5.0nm, 5.5nm, 6.0nm, 6.5nm, 7.0nm, 7.5nm, 8.0nm, 8.5nm, 9.0nm, 9.5nm and 10.0nm, or any value between about 0.1nm, 0.2nm, 0.3nm, 0.4nm, 0.5nm, 0.6nm, 0.7nm, 0.8nm, 0.9nm, 1.0nm, 1.5nm, 2.0nm, 2.5nm, 3.0nm, 3.5nm, 4.0nm, 4.5nm, 5.0nm, 5.5nm, 6.0nm, 6.5nm, 7.0nm, 7.5nm, 8.0nm, 8.5nm, 9.0nm, 9.5nm, and 10.0 nm.

At step 104, subsequent graphene sheets may be placed on top of the fullerenes that were positioned by the nanorollers in step 102.

Steps

102 and 104 may be repeated as necessary to achieve a particular thickness desired to achieve particular desired mechanical properties.

At step 106, laser radiation or plasma energy (i.e., heat) or any other heat generating source emitted by a titanium sapphire laser generating femtosecond pulses at frequencies between 450nm and 700nm may be applied to fuse the fullerenes to each graphene sheet or other substrate. In some examples, the frequency may be about 532nm. The application of heat or plasma fuses the assembled structures into a unitary structure, as shown in fig. 2.

At step 108, the fullerene is converted or deformed into carbon nanotubes. A specific pitch array of fullerenes, when built layer-by-layer using, for example, a staggered honeycomb or other pattern and according to the method described in fig. 1, may result in the formation of one of the strongest composite materials in the world, graphul. The application of heat or plasma rearranges the carbon atoms in the graphene and C60 molecules to form a new, more energetically favorable structure, as depicted in fig. 2 (i.e., carbon nanotubes).

The fullerene/nanoparticle feedstock may be replenished during its use in the manufacturing process outlined in figure 1. The fullerenes/nanoparticles are under a small amount of pressure or force within the hopper to enable contact with the surface of the nanoscroll to facilitate deposition/positioning of the fullerenes/nanoparticles into the indentations on the nanoscroll. The bottom of the feedstock hopper can be adjacent to the nano-roll-which can be further described as a nano-etched surface on a rotating rod. The rollers may be rotated using frictionless gears to eliminate the deposition of contaminants or other foreign matter onto the substrate on which the fullerenes are being rolled and applied. In other examples, an electrical charge may be applied to the substrate material to firmly adhere the nanoparticles to the substrate. The charging step may be performed before stacking additional substrate sheets on top of the fullerenes and then joining/fusing via radiation.

The systems and methods for making composite materials disclosed herein enable nanorizationThe particles can be applied to the substrate in a precise and predetermined manner. Currently, the most well-known method of fullerene placement is to use a tethering molecule, whereby the chemical chains attached to the fullerene act as spacers. In order to remove those spacer chain molecules after proper fullerene placement, the composite material must be irradiated or subjected to a chemical process. This process can cause unrecoverable damage to the desired composite material. The structural and chemical integrity of the composite material is ensured by using a nanoscroll press with fullerene and nanoparticle feedstock hoppers. The specific location of the fullerenes as dictated by the indentation pattern of the nanoroller roll surface provides for structural adjustment of the composite material. As described above, to produce a composite material with greater structural properties, the nanoindentation of the nanorollers that collect fullerenes may be spaced at about 0.5nm to 2.0nm. Such spacing of fullerenes applied by the nanopipette to the pristine graphene will produce support of carbon nanopillars within the composite. The composite materials disclosed herein may be used as structural materials that require the conditioning or placement of fullerenes in order to determine their structural mass or capacity. Two main factors allow for adjustability of the inherent structural capacity of the composite material to include: 1) Thickness; and 2) the spacing and position of the fullerene/carbon nanotubes. To achieve the equivalent structural tendencies of ASTM A36 steel, the plurality of layers may include a thickness of from about 0.45mm to 0.60 mm. When the composite material herein is used as an anode in battery applications, the plurality of layers may comprise a thickness of from about 0.25mm to 1.25mm. Nano-roller press system for manufacturing composite material-Graphul disclosed herein ^TM Is critical.

As previously explained, once the fullerene has been deposited onto the bottom graphene sheet, another subsequent graphene sheet may then be placed on top of the fullerene, and laser or plasma energy may be used to fuse the fullerene to each respective graphene sheet and convert the fullerene into carbon nanotubes. This process is repeated, with the nanorollers applying fullerenes on top of the already joined portions of material until the desired thickness is reached. In an alternative example, the substrate layer and the fullerene are positioned or laminated in their entirety, and then laser or plasma energy is applied to produce a fully joined composite.

Examples

And (4) testing the thermal conductivity.

To measure the thermal conductivity of the composite material, the target sample material was placed between two terminals, one at the top and bottom boundary in the z-direction. Both terminals have a constant temperature difference of 1 ° K. The bottom terminal has T =0 ° K as the low temperature end, and the top terminal has T =1 ° K as the high temperature end. The thermal conductivity is measured along the direction of the carbon nanotubes. From the heat flux distributions shown in fig. 3C and 3D, it was determined that the carbon nanotubes contributed most to temperature and heat conduction. The total thermal resistance of the sample material was calculated by integrating the heat flux across the system: r =8.873446x 10 ^-5 K/W. The macroscopic thermal conductivity was calculated by normalizing the sample geometry:

thermal conductivity measurements along the graphene layer direction were then calculated by flipping the material configuration by 90 degrees. As shown in fig. 4A-4B, both the graphene layer and a portion of the carbon nanotubes contribute to thermal conduction, and therefore the conductivity is expected to be higher in the direction of the carbon nanotubes. The thermal resistance was measured as follows: r =3.541775x10 ^-5 K/W, and the thermal conductivity of the material along the graphene layer direction is:

TABLE 1 summary of thermal conductivity.

System	Thermal conductivity K (W/mK)
		Graphene monolayer	5005
G/CNT: direction of graphene layer	5280
		G/CNT: CNT orientation	4220

The thermal conductivity of a material is determined by the atomic structure and its atomic arrangement. Graphene has a relatively high thermal conductivity, which is measured by a relatively short carbon-carbon distance (sp) ² State) where there is a longer carbon-carbon distance (sp) from ³ State) can be transferred faster than carbon-carbon bonds in diamond due to the overlapping of larger electron clouds. The graphene-carbon nanotube materials disclosed herein not only retain the short carbon-carbon bond lengths of graphene, but also provide an additional pathway for heat dissipation due to the network structure of the material.

And (4) testing tensile strength.

Four different target systems were tensile tested: composite materials with single and double spacing of carbon nanotubes and two pull directions (graphene and carbon nanotube directions). The system setup is shown in table 2 below.

Table 2 system summary of tensile testing.

Varying the spacing between the carbon nanotubes changes the density of the material. In some examples, carbon nanotubesThe spacing between the tubes may be at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following: <xnotran> 0.50nm, 0.51nm, 0.52nm, 0.53nm, 0.54nm, 0.55nm, 0.56nm, 0.57nm, 0.58nm, 0.59nm, 0.60nm, 0.61nm, 0.62nm, 0.63nm, 0.64nm, 0.65nm, 0.66nm, 0.67nm, 0.68nm, 0.69nm, 0.70nm, 0.71nm, 0.72nm, 0.73nm, 0.74nm, 0.75nm, 0.76nm, 0.77nm, 0.78nm, 0.79nm, 0.80nm, 0.81nm, 0.82nm, 0.83nm, 0.84nm, 0.85nm, 0.86nm, 0.87nm, 0.88nm, 0.89nm, 0.90nm, 0.91nm, 0.92nm, 0.93nm, 0.94nm, 0.95nm, 0.96nm, 0.97nm, 0.98nm, 0.99nm, 1.00nm, 1.10nm, 1.11nm, 1.12nm, 1.13nm, 1.14nm, 1.15nm, 1.16nm, 1.17nm, 1.18nm, 1.19nm, 1.20nm, 1.21nm, 1.22nm, 1.23nm, 1.24nm, 1.25nm, 1.26nm, 1.27nm, 1.28nm, 1.29nm, 1.30nm, 1.31nm, 1.32nm, 1.33nm, 1.34nm, 1.35nm, 1.36nm, 1.37nm, 1.38nm, 1.39nm, 1.40nm, 1.41nm, 1.42nm, 1.43nm, 1.44nm, 1.45nm, 1.46nm, 1.47nm, 1.48nm, 1.49nm, 1.50nm, 1.51nm, 1.52nm, 1.53nm, 1.54nm, 1.55nm, 1.56nm, 1.57nm, 1.58nm, 1.59nm, 1.60nm, 1.61nm, 1.62nm, 1.63nm, 1.64nm, 1.65nm, 1.66nm, 1.67nm, 1.68nm, 1.69nm, 1.70nm, 1.71nm, 1.72nm, 1.73nm, 1.74nm, 1.75nm, 1.76nm, 1.77nm, 1.78nm, 1.79nm, 1.80nm, 1.81nm, 1.82nm, 1.83nm, 1.84nm, 1.85nm, 1.86nm, 1.87nm, 1.88nm, 1.89nm, 1.90nm, 1.91nm, 1.92nm, 1.93nm, 1.94nm, 1.95nm, 1.96nm, 1.97nm, 1.98nm, 1.99nm 2.00nm, 0.50nm, 0.51nm, 0.52nm, 0.53nm, 0.54nm, 0.55nm, 0.56nm, 0.57nm, 0.58nm, 0.59nm, 0.60nm, 0.61nm, 0.62nm, 0.63nm, 0.64nm, 0.65nm, 0.66nm, 0.67nm, 0.68nm, 0.69nm, 0.70nm, 0.71nm, 0.72nm, 0.73nm, 0.74nm, 0.75nm, 0.76nm, 0.77nm, 0.78nm, 0.79nm, 0.80nm, 0.81nm, 0.82nm, 0.83nm, 0.84nm, 0.85nm, 0.86nm, 0.87nm, 0.88nm, 0.89nm, 0.90nm, 0.91nm, 0.92nm, 0.93nm, 0.94nm, 0.95nm, 0.96nm, 0.97nm, 0.98nm, 0.99nm, 1.00nm, 1.10nm, 1.11nm, 1.12nm, 1.13nm, 1.14nm, 1.15nm, 1.16nm, 1.17nm, 1.18nm, 1.19nm, 1.20nm, 1.21nm, 1.22nm, 1.23nm, 1.24nm, 1.25nm, 1.26nm, 1.27nm, 1.28nm, 1.29nm, 1.30nm, 1.31nm, 1.32nm, 1. </xnotran>33nm, 1.34nm, 1.35nm, 1.36nm, 1.37nm, 1.38nm, 1.39nm, 1.40nm, 1.41nm, 1.42nm, 1.43nm, 1.44nm, 1.45nm, 1.46nm, 1.47nm, 1.48nm, 1.49nm, 1.50nm, 1.51nm, 1.52nm, 1.53nm, 1.54nm, 1.55nm, 1.56nm, 1.57nm, 1.58nm, 1.59nm, 1.60nm, 1.61nm, 1.62nm, 1.63nm, 1.64nm, 1.65nm, 1.66nm, 1.67nm 1.68nm, 1.69nm, 1.70nm, 1.71nm, 1.72nm, 1.73nm, 1.74nm, 1.75nm, 1.76nm, 1.77nm, 1.78nm, 1.79nm, 1.80nm, 1.81nm, 1.82nm, 1.83nm, 1.84nm, 1.85nm, 1.86nm, 1.87nm, 1.88nm, 1.89nm, 1.90nm, 1.91nm, 1.92nm, 1.93nm, 1.94nm, 1.95nm, 1.96nm, 1.97nm, 1.98nm, 1.99nm and 2.00 nm. For example, carbon nanotube single pitch: 0.86g/cm ³ Carbon nanotube double spacing: 0.55g/cm ³ . The tensile strength results depicted in fig. 5 are shown in table 2 above. For carbon nanotube single pitch, pulling in both directions shows similar stress-strain behavior with similar modulus and ultimate strength. See fig. 5. However, by increasing the carbon nanotube double spacing, an increase in both modulus and ultimate strength is shown when pulled along the graphene direction, with a significant decrease in strain at break, as shown in fig. 5. However, pulling along the carbon nanotube direction showed a dramatic drop in both modulus and ultimate strength, with a sharp increase in strain at break. The overall results are summarized in table 3 below.

Table 3 summary of tensile test results.

Composites with single spacing of carbon nanotubes were also tested at different temperatures including T =200 ° K, 300 ° K, 600 ° K, and 1200 ° K as shown in fig. 6A and 1800 ° K as shown in fig. 6B. The results show that with increasing temperature, the modulus of the composite does not change significantly, while the ultimate strength decreases accordingly.

And (5) performing compression testing.

The compression test results are shown in fig. 7 and include a composite material with a single spacing of carbon nanotubes, and two directions of stress/strain: 1) A graphene direction; and 2) carbon nanotube orientation. As shown in fig. 7, the compression plateau is observed from the stress-strain curve. A similar plateau was observed at stresses of about σ =5GPa for both directions.

And (4) fracture testing.

Fracture toughness (K) is used to describe the resistance of a composite to crack propagation. K was calculated using the median crack type, where the tensile crack type is shown in fig. 8A. Fracture toughness can be calculated from the critical stress and crack size:

where σ is the true stress applied to the sample, F is the geometry factor (depending on the geometry and location of the crack), and a describes the crack size. Here, F =1. As shown in the snapshots of the fracture toughness test results of fig. 8B and 8C for pulling along the graphene layer and carbon nanotube directions, respectively, a stronger resistance to crack propagation capability is observed along the carbon nanotube direction (see fig. 8C). It has been determined that fracture toughness is independent of crack size, indicating-surprisingly-that fracture toughness is an inherent property of the composite material disclosed herein, which is entirely determined by molecular structure. Furthermore, as graphically depicted in fig. 8D, the carbon nanotube orientation has greater fracture toughness than the graphene orientation.

And (6) testing hardness.

Fig. 9A depicts a time-phase snapshot of a stiffness test of the composite material disclosed herein from an initial configuration to a maximum load state to a fully released state. A spherical indenter was used to apply a load to the composite. Rather than increasing the load, an indenter is pushed into the composite material and a measurement of the force F is applied to the indenter and the area of the remaining maker (maker) a after releasing the indenter. Nanoindentation hardness is expressed as: h = F/A. The remaining area of the spherical indenter is expressed as: a = pi (R) ² -(R-H) ² ) Where H is the indentation depth and R is the indenter radius. Nanoindentation hardness is a function of indenter radius size, and the results are graphically presented9B, as measured by indentation depth.

And (4) testing the radiator.

The temperature distribution in an aluminum heat sink and a heat sink constructed from the composite material disclosed herein were tested and compared to each other. The geometry of the same test stand for both materials is shown in fig. 10. Two heat sources each producing 160W were placed 50mm apart across a 500mm disk to determine the maximum temperature of the material, with an ambient temperature of 22 ℃. The maximum temperature observed for aluminum was 52.6 ℃ and the maximum temperature observed for the composite material disclosed herein was 22.4 ℃. The composite dissipates all heat and is maintained at near ambient temperature.

Modeling of the anode material.

Graphene has been tested as an anode material for rechargeable lithium ion batteries and sodium ion batteries due to its unique qualities. Lithium density and volume expansion were compared between a commercial graphene anode and a simulated anode model constructed from the composite material disclosed herein. The lithium concentration is proportional to the specific capacity, which is expressed as: s = a ρ. Commercial graphene anodes have a maximum volume expansion of 10% (V/V0-1), comparable to their maximum specific capacity at current technology/material limits. As shown in fig. 11, at the same volume expansion of 10%, the composite showed about twice the lithium capacity compared to graphene, indicating a larger theoretical specific capacity.

The modeling further indicates that the composite material disclosed herein should have a larger theoretical specific capacity-at least 2 times greater than commercial grade graphene anodes. Commercial grade graphene anodes have a maximum capacity of about 600 mAh/g. Accordingly, it is estimated that an anode constructed from the composite material disclosed herein should have a maximum capacity of at least 1200 mAh/g. In other examples, an anode constructed from the composite materials disclosed herein may have a maximum capacity that is at least twice the maximum capacity of any commercial grade graphene anode. In addition, the composite anode should have minimal volume change during the charge and discharge process, as well as a high lithium storage capacity. The additional energy stored in the composite anode should also provide a higher current that can drive a larger load.

Aramid fiber vs Graphul ^TM 。

An analysis was performed to calculate the energy absorption capacity of conventional aramid fibers under ballistic impact compared to the composite material disclosed herein. The geometric model included a target plate thickness of about 1.6mm and a trajectory generated by a 7.62mm x 39mm rifle bullet with a velocity of about 730 m/s. Ballistic impact is a pure hit test. Thus, the shear modulus of the aramid was compared to the shear modulus of the composite material disclosed herein. Tests have shown similar shear modulus between both aramid and composite materials. As shown in fig. 12, the energy absorbed by the composite disclosed herein is about 18 times higher than aramid laminates. In other examples, the energy absorbed by the composite disclosed herein may be higher than the energy absorbed by the aramid, e.g., at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following: about 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, 5 times, 6 times, 7 times, 8 times, 9 times, 10 times, 11 times, 12 times, 13 times, 14 times, 15 times, 16 times, 17 times, 18 times, 19 times, 20 times, 21 times, 22 times, 23 times, 24 times, 25 times, 26 times, 27 times, 28 times, 29 times, 30 times, 35 times, 40 times, 45 times, 50 times, 55 times, 60 times, 65 times, 70 times, 75 times, 80 times, 85 times, 90 times, 95 times, and 100 times, or any value between about 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, 5 times, 6 times, 7 times, 8 times, 9 times, 10 times, 11 times, 12 times, 13 times, 14 times, 15 times, 16 times, 17 times, 18 times, 19 times, 20 times, 21 times, 22 times, 23 times, 24 times, 25 times, 26 times, 27 times, 28 times, 29 times, 30 times, 35 times, 40 times, 45 times, 50 times, 55 times, 60 times, 65 times, 70 times, 75 times, 80 times, 85 times, 90 times, 95 times, and 100 times. Such properties indicate that the composite will be suitable for body armor, or as other ballistic or blast enhancing materials.

Steel flange joint to Graphul ^TM A composite flange joint.

A comparative study was conducted to compare the structural performance of a steel (ASTM-a 36) flange joint with the performance of a composite flange joint. A baseline performance of the steel flange joint was established and then compared to the performance of a similar flange joint constructed from composite materials. Comparative is typical of composite laminates/knotsDesign issues are constructed to compare performance characteristics. As the flange is under torsional load, the torsional stiffness increases while the shear modulus increases by changing the overlap (layup). The ideal overlap from the in-plane shear modulus points for composite analysis is [ + -45 ]] _ns . As shown in the summary of results in fig. 13, the stress of the composite flange is similar to a conventional steel flange, but about one-tenth of the structural quality of the steel flange. In other examples, the structural device, when constructed from the composite materials disclosed herein, can have a structural mass and/or density that is at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following, for example, less than the structural mass and/or density of steel: about 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56% >, or 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, and 99.9%, or at about 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62% >, or at about 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62% > 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%,71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8% and 99.9% of any number of structural mass and/or density. Also, for flanges under torsional load, biaxial laminar lapping (fig. 13, line 3) is best suited for analysis from a deflection and stress perspective.

I-beam steel relative to Graphul ^TM An I-beam.

A comparative study was conducted to compare the structural performance of a steel (ASTM-a 36) i-beam at a load of about 1500N with the structural performance of an i-beam constructed from the composite material disclosed herein. As shown in the summary of the results of fig. 14A-14C, the i-beam constructed from the composite material exceeded the deflection and stress criteria of the baseline steel i-beam. It is noteworthy that composite i-beams weighing about 400 grams yield similar stress and deflection to conventional i-beams weighing 3.5 kilograms when subjected to the same load.

Steel pressure vessel versus Graphul ^TM A pressure vessel.

A comparative study of structural properties was conducted to compare the structural properties of a steel (ASTM-a 36& conventional IS-2062) pressure vessel at 200 ℃ at an internal pressure of 0.1 mbar and an external pressure of 1.0125 bar with the properties of a pressure vessel constructed from the composite material disclosed herein. As shown in the material and results summaries of fig. 15A-15B, the composite pressure vessel exhibited less stress than the baseline steel pressure vessel. Notably, the stresses are similar between steel and composite vessels, but the composite vessels have about one-tenth the structural mass of steel vessels. In other examples, the structural device, when constructed from the composite material disclosed herein, can have a structural mass and/or density that is at least the following, greater than the following, less than the following, equal to the following, for example, less than the structural mass and/or density of steel: about 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56% 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, and 99.9%, or about 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, and 99.9%. Accordingly, the composite materials disclosed herein are optimal for construction for pressure vessels and other related structures.

The composite materials disclosed herein exceed the mechanical qualities of conventional materials and conventional techniques. Because of the structural tendencies and low density of the composite materials disclosed herein, what once needed heavy machinery to lift and place can now be accomplished without heavy machinery. For example, body armor that can be 18 times lighter than currently commercially available body armor can be constructed, which cannot be implemented with conventional materials due to its lightness, providing increased mobility for its users. In another example, the battery, battery pouch, and battery may be configured to have a power twice the power of a conventional system for electric vehicles and a charging capacity twice the charging capacity of a conventional system for electric vehicles, such that they are able to travel a distance twice the distance of a conventional electric vehicle. Furthermore, the non-corrosive nature of the composite material disclosed herein extends the useful life as compared to metals that are prone to rusting or spalling. Furthermore, the semiconducting nature of the composite material may allow current to be placed throughout the composite material, thereby unlocking its use in a variety of electrical applications. Future uses for composite materials are endless and may include, for example, space elevators, sea-crossing bridges, self-levitating highways and the like. The composite materials disclosed herein may also be used in next generation electric vehicle battery systems and as a next generation to guide next generation building material systems within the building industry.

The following may also be the intended use of the composites and methods disclosed herein: body armor, semiconductors, battery anodes, solar panels, radiators, structural concrete members, structural steel members, prefabricated concrete structural members, bridges, highways, streets, skyscrapers, sidewalks, foundations, dams, industrial plants, canals, airports, structural composites, airplanes, military equipment, and civil infrastructure.

The foregoing has been presented for purposes of example. The foregoing is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit features to the precise forms disclosed. The examples discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various examples and their practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize these and other embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, any and all combinations, subcombinations, and permutations of the structures, operations, and/or other features described herein and in the accompanying drawings.

Although examples are described above, the features and/or steps of these examples may be combined, divided, omitted, rearranged, modified, and/or enhanced in any desired manner. Many alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing disclosure. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this description though not expressly stated herein, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only, and not limiting.

Claims

1. A material, comprising:

a first graphene sheet;

a second graphene sheet; and

more than one fullerene positioned on the first graphene sheet, and wherein the second graphene sheet is positioned on top of the more than one fullerene, and wherein the more than one fullerene are positioned on the graphene sheets at a distance from each other of from about 0.1nm to about 10 nm.

2. The material of claim 1, wherein the more than one fullerene becomes a carbon nanotube.

3. The material of claim 1, wherein the more than one fullerene is positioned on the graphene sheet at a distance from each other of from about 0.5nm to about 2nm.

4. The material of claim 3, wherein the more than one fullerenes are positioned on the graphene sheets at least 0.5nm apart from each other.

5. The material of claim 1, wherein the more than one fullerenes are positioned on the graphene sheets in a staggered pattern.

6. The material of claim 1, wherein the more than one fullerene is positioned on the graphene sheet in a uniform pattern.

7. The material of claim 1, wherein the more than one fullerene comprises a diameter, and wherein the diameter is at least 0.70nm.

8. The material of claim 1, further comprising a second more than one fullerene and a third graphene sheet, wherein the second more than one fullerene is positioned on the second graphene sheet, and wherein the third graphene sheet is positioned on top of the second more than one fullerene.

9. The material of claim 1, further comprising more than one graphene sheet and a second more than one fullerene, wherein the second more than one fullerene is positioned between the second graphene sheet and the more than one graphene sheet, forming a plurality of layers.

10. The material of claim 9, wherein the plurality of layers comprise a thickness, and wherein the thickness is from about 0.25mm to 1.25mm.

11. The material of claim 1, constructed and arranged as a battery anode, body armor, heat sink, electrical conductor, or structural building system material.

12. A method of making a material comprising:

depositing more than one fullerene onto the graphene sheet;

placing subsequent graphene sheets on top of the more than one fullerene; and

applying laser radiation to fuse the more than one fullerene to each graphene sheet,

wherein the fullerene is formed into a carbon nanotube, and wherein the plurality of layers comprise a thickness, and wherein the thickness is from about 0.10mm to 5.0mm.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a plurality of layers of the graphene sheets, wherein the more than one fullerene is fused between each graphene sheet.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of layers comprise a thickness, and wherein the thickness is from about 0.25mm to 1.25mm.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning the graphene sheet and the more than one fullerene together using one or more nanorollers configured to determine a spacing of the more than one fullerene on the graphene sheet.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning the more than one fullerene onto the graphene sheets at a distance from each other of from about 0.5nm to about 2nm.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning the more than one fullerene onto the graphene sheets at least 0.5nm apart from each other.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning the more than one fullerene on the graphene sheet in a staggered pattern.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the more than one fullerene comprises a diameter, and wherein the diameter is at least 0.70nm.

20. A system, comprising:

more than one nanoroller, wherein the more than one nanoroller is configured to deposit more than one fullerene onto a graphene sheet, wherein the fullerenes are spaced 0.5nm to 2.0nm apart from each other, and wherein the more than one nanoroller is configured to place a subsequent graphene sheet on top of the more than one fullerene; and

a laser, wherein the laser is configured to fuse the more than one fullerene to each graphene sheet, and wherein the fullerenes are formed into carbon nanotubes, and wherein the carbon nanotubes have a diameter of at least 0.70nm.