[ExI] carbon nanotube ribbons in meter lengths

[Damien Broderick]

Brian Wang posts on another list:


The Times UK reported claims that Alan Windle's team at Cambridge
University had created the world's strongest ribbon. I finally tracked
down specifics of this work. From a press release of the 2nd
International Conference on Space Elevator and Carbon Nanotube Tether
Design in Luxembourg on Dec 14, 2008 Cambridge is making 9 Gpa
strength material with a density of one gram per cc [same density as
water] and believe that they can increase the strength to 10 GPa and
make it in meter lengths in time for a space elevator tether
competition in late April, 2009. [Competition tethers must be 2 meters
long and a maximum of 2 grams.] They are also scaling this up to
industrial scale over the next few years. Space elevators are closer
as well as other tether applications like orbital skyhooks. Industrial
scale at 10GPa means lighter, stronger cars, planes, bikes,
spaceships, armor. If they can control the electrical properties then
you can transform the electric grid and wiring. Key parts of the
populist vision of molecular nanotechnology would be happening when
this is scaled to industrial levels.

<http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/01/cambridge-making-carbon-nanotubes.html>