Electrical Interface between Carbon Nanotubes and Metallic Electrodes for Industrial Applications

Carbon NanoTubes (CNT) have shown unrival properties, combining both excellent electrical conduction as well as thermal and mechanical properties. This work aims to increase the electrical conductance of industrial Al wires by introducing CNT in the bulk of the wire, which also leads to weight reduction. As Al makes poor electrical contact with CNT, another metal needs to be added to the interface in order to obtain good electrical contact. In this work, we sought to determine the conditions to obtain the best conductance in a metal/CNT contact using commercial CNTs. We prepared such contacts with different metals on commercial CNTs, measured their resistance, and studied their structural properties using used electron microscopy. The characterization of several commercial samples shows that the best candidates for a good electrical interface are Single Wall CNTs (SWCNT), with Pd electrodes, which is in good agreement with previously reported work. We also show the importance of the CNT's purity and test hybrid interfaces more suitable for industrial applications.