Nano Tube Carbon building?

[jmolan]

http://www.boatbuilding.net/article.pl?sid=09/05/14/1335249

This may have been posted, sorry if it has. Nano tube carbon. Looks like they are building a boat in Seattle. 8k power boat at 54'...man. looks like the next level is coming.

They should be posting photos here:


http://www.zyvexpro.com/news/540SE/index.html


Also here

http://www.lunadadesign.com/


I have no financial interest in this stuff (maybe I should)

[Stumble]

Everything I have read up untill now is that nano-tubes are still years away from being ready for this type of application. Hopefully they have figured out something no-one else has, but since they didn't list a price for this thing I have a nagging feeling that this 54' boat may cost 10 times what a comperable carbon boat does... though I have no numbers or particular reason to say that.

[lymanwhite]

They have prepreg Arovex cloth and Epovex resin. Performance sounds awesome.

[brian eiland]

...very interesting subject

Technology
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have physical properties that exceed those of commonly used materials. With a strength 16 times that of stainless steel and with a thermal conductivity five times that of copper, CNTs are obvious choices for creating a new class of composite materials. Their inclusion in a polymer, ceramic, or metal matrix holds the potential to boost the host material’s electrical, mechanical, or thermal values by orders of magnitude, well above the performance possible with traditional fillers such as carbon black or ultra fine metal powders.

Although CNTs have exceptional physical properties, incorporating them into other materials has been inhibited by the surface chemistry of carbon. Problems such as phase separation, aggregation, poor dispersion within a matrix, and poor adhesion to the host matrix must be overcome.

Zyvex Performance Materials (ZPM) is the leader in overcoming these problems by designing molecules that optimizes the interaction between CNTs and the host matrix. These molecules exfoliate, debundle, and allow for uniform dispersion by creating a multi-functional bridge between the CNT sidewalls and the host material. We have molecules designed to be effective on single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs), multi-wall nanotubes (MWNTs), and carbon nanotube fibers (CNFs) and has proven useful for other nanomaterials such as nanoclays.

ZPM patented technology resolves the technical issues associated with using carbon nanotubes. This proprietary technology successfully transfers the nanotubes’ intrinsic electrical and mechanical properties to the host polymers. This functionalization technology also provides the solubility and polymer compatibility necessary for commercial processing.

...more HERE (http://www.zyvexpro.com/technology.html)