Due to their exceptional mechanical, physical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties, carbon nanotubes are playing a critical role in the development of high-performance polymer composites. This short course provides a comprehensive overview on the properties, production, and applications of carbon nanotube enabled materials.

• To provide a general understanding of nano materials, historical perspectives, and the development of carbon nanotubes
• To understand the processing and characterization techniques and properties of carbon nanotubes
• To understand the applications and benefits of materials and structures containing carbon nanotubes

• What are nano materials?
• Introduction and historical perspectives
• Development of carbon fibers (CF), carbon nano fibers (CNF), fullerenes, multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWNT), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT), and double wall carbon nanotubes (DWNT)
• Synthesis and purification (CNF, MWNT, DWNT, SWNT)
• Characterization of carbon nanotubes (Raman, UV, TEM, fluorescence etc)
• Properties of CNF, MWNT, DWNT, SWNT (mechanical, thermal, electrical, electronic, optical, field emission etc)
• Physical Chemistry and solution properties
• Chemical functionalization
• Polymer crystallization in the presence of nanotubes
• Carbon nanotube films and fibers
• Polymer/carbon nanotube composites (processing, characterization, properties)
• Potential applications

Attendees will each receive the handout as a pdf file and/or hard copy.