Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have used a technique based on mechanical resonance induced by an oscillating electrical voltage to measure the comparative bending strength of tiny carbon nanotubes produced by two competing processes. The National Science Foundation-sponsored work, which also correlates the strength measurements to observed defects, provides information important in helping materials scientists to select the best variety of nanotube for new applications. "We are able to make a quantitative comparison, with a real number, to describe how much the bending modulus differs," said Dr. Z.L. Wang, a Georgia Tech professor of materials science. Researchers compared nanotubes produced by traditional high-temperature carbon arc discharge to nanotubes grown through a lower-temperature catalyst-assisted pyrolysis process.

For additional information, e-mail zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu.