TROY, N.Y., July 3 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests carbon nanotubes can endure such heavy wear and tear, they might one day be used to create synthetic tissue and muscles.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers said the ability of carbon nanotubes to withstand repeated stress, yet retain their structural and mechanical integrity, is similar to the behavior of soft tissue. Such an ability, paired with the strong electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes, suggests the materials could be used to create structures that mimic artificial muscles or interesting electro-mechanical systems, the researchers said.
The study is believed the first to explore and document carbon nanotube fatigue behavior.
"The idea was to show how fatigue affects nanotube structures over the lifetime of a device that incorporates carbon nanotubes," study co-author Victor Pushparaj said. "Even when exposed to high levels of stress, the nanotubes held up extremely well. The behavior is reminiscent of the mechanics of soft tissues, such as a shoulder muscle or stomach wall, which expand and contract millions of times over a human lifetime."
The study by Pushparaj, Assistant Professor Jonghwan Suhr and colleagues appears in the July issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
