So amazing! This “black technology” makes the separation of single-arm carbon nanotubes simple
When it comes to single-arm carbon nanotubes, some friends may feel unfamiliar with them, but they are a “potential stock” in the materials field – they have better electrical conductivity than copper and weigh only one-sixth as much as steel. However, there is a persistent problem with single-arm carbon nanotubes. When they are first prepared, they always look like a tangled ball of “yarn”. To bring out its advantages, the first step is to take these “threads” apart and separate them clearly, that is, to “separate” them. Recently, our team discovered a “good helper” – the Caspeterr high-pressure homogenizer. When used to separate single-arm carbon nanotubes, the effect exceeded expectations! Just by relying on “high-pressure impact”, the “carbon tube yarn” can be easily disassembled. Some people are curious about how the high-pressure homogenizer works? In fact, the principle is very simple It can generate ultra-high pressure (we used PT-20 in our experiment, with a pressure ranging from 1000 to 1800bar), causing the solution to undergo intense collision, shearing and cavitation effects – just like giving the “carbon tube yarn” a “precise disassembly”, not only separating the entangled carbon nanotubes， but also maintaining the integrity of the tubes as much as possible It won’t be “cut bad”.
The experimental results are extremely surprising: the separation efficiency is high and it can be done in batches
To verify whether this method works or not, we conducted a series of experiments: When observing the separated carbon nanotubes under a microscope, it was found that most of the originally tangled tubes had become single and dispersed, with the dispersion rate increasing by more than 30% compared to the traditional method. Professional instruments were used for detection, and the structure of the separated carbon nanotubes was intact, with almost no impact on their electrical conductivity, fully meeting the subsequent usage requirements. More importantly, the high-pressure homogenizer is easy to operate. It can handle several hundred milliliters of solution at a time, unlike previous methods that could only “trial and error in small batches”, laying the foundation for the industrial application of single-arm carbon nanotubes.
The future is promising: Not only carbon nanotubes, but also more materials can “unlock their potential”
The successful separation of single-arm carbon nanotubes using the Caspeter high-pressure homogenizer this time not only solved a scientific research problem but also provided a new idea for the separation of other nanomaterials. For instance, in the future, when dealing with materials such as graphene and quantum dots, perhaps similar methods can also be adopted to enable these “new material stars” to enter our lives more quickly.
Post time: Aug-30-2025