Man's Next Migration

Carbon Nanotubes: Notable Developments of 2009

Ever since scientists discovered the incredulous tensile strength of carbon nanotubes and its unique properties, the wonder material has found numerous applications in various technologies but has yet to fulfill its part in what made it famous the first time, the space elevator. Much research has been done in the last two decades and still continuing, for carbon nanotubes (CNT) do hold a lot of promise in its home niche, nanoscience and nanotechnology. It may seem a bit ironic then for it to be the main component to what may be the world's gigantic superstructure, one that pierces through the stratosphere and even go beyond where most satellites orbit the earth. For all its worth, carbon nanotubes are still the best uncontested theoretical candidates for constructing the space elevator cable.

It's been called a lot of things like the “ribbon” and “tether” but the basic design lies on the simple fact that the cable must be strong enough to support its own weight and withstand tensile forces that would break and shatter even the strongest steel. To illustrate that fact, a carbon nanotube “ribbon”  which weighs a sixth that of steel of the same dimension is significantly stronger one hundred times over. This property is in itself a perfect testament to the material's incredible attributes which make it a fitting component in the space elevator cable.

Tags: space elevator, carbon nanotubes, Updates, space technology