Flame-Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Forests on Metal Mesh Structure: Dependence, Morphology, and Application

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the form of “forests” were synthesized directly on the surface of stainless steel (SS) mesh from ethanol flame volume. The growth dependence of the MWCNT forests on the porosity of SS mesh substrate and the morphologies and growth mechanism of the MWCNT forests were investigated in detail by a combination of turbulent flow simulation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Raman and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The growth height of the MWCNT forests exhibited a strong dependence on the flame gas flow rate controlled by the porosity of SS mesh substrate, and the maximum averaged height of the MWCNT forests reached 34 μm. Most MWCNTs grew perpendicularly on the surface of SS wires, and some branch, welded, and spiral structures were observed by SEM and TEM. The MWCNT-decorated mesh was used as a novel heating element to weld glass-fabric-reinforced polyetherimide (GF/PEI) thermoplastics. We found that the maximum tensile lap-shear strength (LSS) of the welded joints could reach 39.21 MPa, an increase of 41% in comparison with that of conventional SS mesh-based joints.