Carbon Nanotubes with Temperature-Invariant Viscoelasticity from –196° to 1000°C

Abstract

Shake It to Wake It Viscoelastic materials combine the recoverable stretchiness found in elastic materials with the slow-flowing behavior of a thick fluid, like honey. When subjected to an oscillatory motion, the response will depend on the frequency. At low frequencies, the viscous behavior will dominate and lead to a dissipation of the applied energy as heat, while at fast frequencies the elastic behavior dominates. Xu et al. (p. 1364 ; see the Perspective by Gogotsi ) developed a viscoelastic material with an exceptionally broad operating temperature range, based on a network of carbon nanotubes. The responsiveness of the material was probably caused by the “zipping” and “unzipping” of the nanotubes at points of contact.