Many applications for carbon nanotubes

TROY, N.Y., Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests carbon nanotubes act like super-compressible springs that could be used in coffee cups

or the space shuttle.

"Carbon nanotubes display an exceptional combination of strength, flexibility, and low density, making them attractive and interesting materials for producing strong, ultra-light foam-like structures," said study co-author Pulickel Ajayan, the Henry Burlage Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, N.Y.

The study shows films of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes can act like a layer of mattress springs, flexing and rebounding in response to a force. However, unlike a mattress, which can sag and lose its springiness, these nanotube foams maintain their resilience even after thousands of compression cycles.

The findings are published in the journal Science.