Dual‐Polymer‐Assisted Dry‐Jet Acid Spinning of Ultra‐Low‐Aspect‐Ratio Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Into Continuous Load‐Bearing Fibers

The assembly of low‐cost, mass‐produced yet “low‐quality” multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into robust, load‐bearing fibers remains a significant challenge due to their low aspect ratio, poor dispersibility, high impurity content, and difficulty in achieving alignment. Here, we report a synergistic dual‐polymer‐assisted dry‐jet acid spinning (DPA‐DJAS) strategy for directly converting powder‐like MWCNTs with an ultra‐low aspect ratio of only 58–375 into continuous, high‐performance fibers. Inside the dope, an acid‐soluble poly(p‐phenylene terephthalamide) enables uniform MWCNT dispersion and optimizes spinning dope rheology for continuous extrusion. Across the air gap, the dry jet promotes gravitational drawing, surface pregelation, and improved MWCNT alignment. In the coagulation bath, polyvinyl alcohol in the coagulation bath moderates the H 2 SO 4 –H 2 O exchange, yielding strip‐like oriented surfaces and densely stacked MWCNTs. The resulting fibers exhibit exceptional mechanical performance, achieving tensile strengths exceeding 150 MPa and elongations up to 6.35%, while maintaining a low initial Young's modulus of ≈50 MPa—only 1.8% of that in conventionally spun CNT fibers but with a 2.57‐fold increase in strength. Remarkably, a representative fiber with linear density of ≈43.8 tex can sustain a 100 g handling load via direct knotting, corresponding to an apparent tenacity of ≈2.24 cN/tex. In addition, electrical conductivity is significantly enhanced, reaching 551 S m −1 —an increase of 124% over conventional acid‐spun CNT fibers. This DPA‐DJAS method eliminates the need for “high‐quality” CNT feedstocks and provides a scalable route to process industrial‐grade MWCNT powders into lightweight, flexible, and conductive fibers for next‐generation smart textiles, flexible electronics, and structural applications.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Engineering Materials
Published
2026-02-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202501652
Primary Topic
Carbon Nanotubes in Composites
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Dual‐Polymer‐Assisted Dry‐Jet Acid Spinning of Ultra‐Low‐Aspect‐Ratio Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Into Continuous Load‐Bearing Fibers

Haipeng Li, Xu Wang, Jie Feng, Jianliang Gong et al.
Advanced Engineering Materials
Carbon Nanotubes in Composites
article

Dual‐Polymer‐Assisted Dry‐Jet Acid Spinning of Ultra‐Low‐Aspect‐Ratio Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Into Continuous Load‐Bearing Fibers

Haipeng Li, Xu Wang, Jie Feng, Jianliang Gong, Abuduwaili Tuohuniyazi, Yiwang Chen, Xiaofang Zhang, Xinyi Huang, Lin Qin
article en

Abstract

The assembly of low‐cost, mass‐produced yet “low‐quality” multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into robust, load‐bearing fibers remains a significant challenge due to their low aspect ratio, poor dispersibility, high impurity content, and difficulty in achieving alignment. Here, we report a synergistic dual‐polymer‐assisted dry‐jet acid spinning (DPA‐DJAS) strategy for directly converting powder‐like MWCNTs with an ultra‐low aspect ratio of only 58–375 into continuous, high‐performance fibers. Inside the dope, an acid‐soluble poly(p‐phenylene terephthalamide) enables uniform MWCNT dispersion and optimizes spinning dope rheology for continuous extrusion. Across the air gap, the dry jet promotes gravitational drawing, surface pregelation, and improved MWCNT alignment. In the coagulation bath, polyvinyl alcohol in the coagulation bath moderates the H 2 SO 4 –H 2 O exchange, yielding strip‐like oriented surfaces and densely stacked MWCNTs. The resulting fibers exhibit exceptional mechanical performance, achieving tensile strengths exceeding 150 MPa and elongations up to 6.35%, while maintaining a low initial Young's modulus of ≈50 MPa—only 1.8% of that in conventionally spun CNT fibers but with a 2.57‐fold increase in strength. Remarkably, a representative fiber with linear density of ≈43.8 tex can sustain a 100 g handling load via direct knotting, corresponding to an apparent tenacity of ≈2.24 cN/tex. In addition, electrical conductivity is significantly enhanced, reaching 551 S m −1 —an increase of 124% over conventional acid‐spun CNT fibers. This DPA‐DJAS method eliminates the need for “high‐quality” CNT feedstocks and provides a scalable route to process industrial‐grade MWCNT powders into lightweight, flexible, and conductive fibers for next‐generation smart textiles, flexible electronics, and structural applications.

Advanced Engineering Materials
Gannan Normal University (CN), Zhejiang Fashion Institute of Technology (CN), Jiangxi Normal University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 54%
Carbon Nanotubes in Composites
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.