Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered superior to graphene in several aspects due to their unique properties and more environmentally friendly production methods. Here's a detailed explanation:
1. Environmental Impact:
- Carbon Nanotubes: CNTs have been shown to have lower nanoparticle releases in applications like tire reinforcement, which is a significant environmental advantage over other carbon additives like carbon black. Additionally, the production methods for CNTs, such as PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition), are generally more energy efficient and less water-intensive compared to graphene production methods.
- Graphene: Graphene production, particularly the "top-down" methods like Hummer's method, involves high energy consumption, significant water usage, and the use of harsh chemicals, which pose environmental challenges.
2. Mechanical Strength and Versatility:
- Carbon Nanotubes: CNTs exhibit exceptional mechanical strength, often stronger than steel or other industrial fibers. This strength makes them ideal for a wide range of applications including structural materials, sports equipment, aerospace components, and automotive parts. Their ability to form vertically aligned CNTs (VACNTs) also opens up new possibilities in leveraging their inherent anisotropy.
- Graphene: While graphene is known for its exceptional strength, its application in bulk form is limited by its two-dimensional nature and the challenges associated with translating this strength from the nanoscale to larger scales.
3. Market and Application Potential:
- Carbon Nanotubes: The market for CNTs is expanding, driven by their versatility and the development of macro-CNT products like sheets, veils, and yarns. These products are overcoming the technical challenges of translating nanoscale properties to larger scales, showing promising results in various applications.
- Graphene: Graphene faces competition from other conductive carbon materials and struggles with scalability issues in practical applications. The adoption of graphene is also hindered by the need for a combination of properties that are not always met by current production methods.
4. Thermal Properties:
- Carbon Nanotubes: CNTs, like graphite, exhibit the unusual property of becoming stronger when heated to high temperatures. This characteristic is beneficial in high-temperature applications and allows for more robust designs with fewer support systems.
- Graphene: Graphene also has excellent thermal properties, but the challenges in handling and integrating it into practical applications limit its thermal benefits in real-world scenarios.
In conclusion, while both carbon nanotubes and graphene are revolutionary materials with unique properties, carbon nanotubes currently hold several advantages in terms of environmental impact, mechanical strength, market potential, and thermal properties. These factors make CNTs a better choice for many advanced applications compared to graphene.
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