Carbon Nanotubes

lasto i glemyr

Jan 30 2005, 05:17 AM

Sorry if this shows up twice; my Tab key went a little crazy...

Anyway, I don't know if any of you have heard about carbon nanotubes, so here's a brief description.

Carbon nanotubes were discovered in the early 1990s by researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas. They are essentially tube-shaped molecules composed of 60 carbon atoms, and they measure about 1 nanometer in length.

These nanotubes exhibit some extraordinary properties that could have many uses. For example, they are extremely conductive, such that they are almost superconducting electricity at room temperature. They also emit electrons when a current is applied to them, making them ideal for super-thin TVs and monitors. In fact, researchers think it is possible to build monitors so small that they can be unrolled like a poster and pinned on a wall.

Also, scientists have been successful in making logic gates with them, making them ideal for building computer processors. In fact, nanotubes have several advantages over silicon transistors. Firstly, they are smaller. At the moment, Intel's Pentium IV chip contains about 55 billion silicon transistors. A processor of similar size could contain over a trillion nanotubes; more gates equals more power and speed. Secondly, since they are nearly superconductive, they require a lot less power. This means that they could greatly increase the battery life of portable devices.

And finally, the tubes can be used to physically hold hydrogen atoms, which makes them useful in the creation of hydrogen fuel cells.

The reason they haven't appeared in markets yet is that they are very expensive; they cost up to $500 per gram. However, SouthWest Nano Technologies is beginning to manufacture them, and their price is expected to fall sharply.

So, with all this in mind, do you think that carbon nanotubes are revolutionize the computer and electronics world? Will nanotubes destroy the Era of Silicon and make way for an Era of Carbon?

szupie

Jan 31 2005, 11:06 PM

I don't really think they would, even if their price went down. There are a lot of other things like this in the past that didn't effect our technology. But, if the price REALLY (REALLY) went down, it might become popular. Who knows?

Xeon

Mar 10 2005, 07:59 AM

Yeah, carbon nanotubes might be the future. Currently we don't know that much about them, but if we are able to manufacture them more easily we probably would find a lot more uses for them. I think they might revolutionize the computer industry if more research is done on them. Carbon nanotubes are also really strong for their weight and could also potentially be used in structural materials. Hopefully we'll learn more about these nanotubes.

szupie

Mar 10 2005, 10:01 AM

Oh, yeah! The carbon nanotubes are what the space elevator needs! If we can make lots of them for a low price, we can accomplish multiple things! Wow, I hope they find an efficient way to make them soon...

Xevian

Mar 10 2005, 12:20 PM

This might just be the scientific breakthrough! If it can replace so many things, I think it should replace a lot of things... For example, the television, LCD screens, eletrical wires, telephone lines, cables, conductors, maybe lightning rods, and computer chips!
If its so conductive, it would serve well for the power generation plants to change their wires to these. If New York was to change all their wires to those of this material, the power used would probably be lesser than half of when it is using the normal wires!
The only thing I do not know is whether it is brittle, bendable, flexible and stuff...

lacking_imagination

Mar 21 2005, 04:41 PM

Well, the idea is promising. I think if it would be used in computers, the speed possibility would be endless. One quick point to note would be their heat output. I'm only assuming this, but being a superconductor for electricty, wouldn't they superheat as well? That would require high end coolant, most definately liquid. I don't see these in the near future for casual computer user, but the uses for a server computer or a uber fast gaming machine would be spectacular. More uses, not only microchips/processors could be graphics cards, sound cards and other pc cards. I see a definate market to the gaming industry here for whichever console company gets to it the fastest.

Elysithea

Mar 22 2005, 05:54 PM

Eh, I just posted something that related to this (silicon being obsolete, that is).

I agree with everyone else that in order for it to be practical is if it were produced cheaply. You'd probably need some expert in metallurgy or chemistry to find out what the best material would be to make them with (something that doesn't overheat, but is cheap and easy to mine).

I'm going to surf the net about these nanotubes, now (this is the first I've heard of them). You've made me curious, which is good.

Trekkie101

Mar 22 2005, 06:16 PM

Sounds cool, although the more the hotter they would become? I would hate to have it over heat on me, also the price aint bad for the technology behind it. Pentium 6 here we come! Super fast! lol

Xevian

Mar 23 2005, 11:17 AM

QUOTE(lacking_imagination @ Mar 22 2005, 12:41 AM)

Oh right... We did not seem to see the superheating since it is a superconductor... Maybe there could be... 2-5 of the wires leading to the same place, when 1 gets overheated and needs to cool down, it switches to the next, then on and on... By then the first tube should have cooled down!

NANO

Aug 16 2006, 07:10 AM

The only problem is PRICE!

Latest Entries

ScepterDonFetti

Dec 31 2007, 07:07 AM

I agree the problem is pricing. As far as heat is concerned If it is a true superconductor heat would not be a
problem. It would not need any cooling because superconductors do not generate heat. In our current
processors it is the resistance in silicon that causes electrons to bump into each other creating friction that
produces heat. When electricity passes through a superconductor there is no resistance and electrons follow
one after the other without bumping into anything. That means that there would not need to be any sort of
cooling devices at all.

However, this is the first I have heard of a superconductor that is able to run at room temperature. As far as
I knew the only way to create a true superconductor is to cool a piece of copper or conductive material to
something like -468 degrees and keep it there which is only done by submerging it in liquid nitrogen.

Building computers with that process would be extremely dangerous since you would basically have a ticking
bomb sitting under your desk. On a hot day the nitrogen could heat up and then electricity passing through it
would set off a massive explosion in someones home, office or lap. Also the tubes carrying the nitrogen could
break releasing the gas into the air where an unsuspecting user is caught smoking his last cigarette.

I think that this could be a very promising technology if the price is reasonable.

dmnspwn1985

Jul 25 2007, 10:43 PM

carbon nanotubes is the breakthrough that computers need i personally think we have reached the peak of circuts, not to bad mouth them they have done great so far but i just think we are reaching then end.. and i agree with those that talked about the heat, being so close to a superconductor the heat output would be great, but they are researching different things that have to do with heat reduction...but imagine carbon nanotubes submerged in a non conductive,heat absorb gel that transfers the heat into energy for the other things, the possibliltys are endless... but that is just my opinion.

yuhuu

Feb 28 2007, 07:45 PM

not only that, imagine you could wear them..I mean you could wear a tv screen..imagine going to the mall and looking por a panth that has a screen on the knees, connecting it to a ipod sized cpu, and walla you have your wear able computer..Gosh this idea really roks me...or glasses,,with some kind of sensors...or autos with a windscreen that will show everything including your computer desktop..
Simply amazing.
I am sure for now price is still an issue,,but remember flat screens,,they were very expensive some years ago,,now they are very affordable..I think that will repeat with this nanotubes..I hope so..

t3jem

Jan 29 2007, 03:05 AM

this sounds really neat, I do think that if the prices went down enough they could definitly revolutionize technology. I would definitly buy a screen I could roll up and pin on the wall too

. This sound very neat, I hope that they become available to the public soon.

beatgammit

Jan 22 2007, 06:56 PM

This sounds very promising, but so did flash memory. This will probably be very expensive and will never beat out silicon in price. Since these "nanotubes" are rediculously small, they will always be expensive to produce, unless we find some new way of manufacturing rediculously small things in the future. I can see these being used in cell phones and other small devices, but not in home desktop computers. What may happen, though, is that these chips can be put into portable devices and plugged into a computer shell (with memory and ports and stuff) and act as the cpu for it, but this would be a hassle for the average user.

Flash memory never replaced hard-drives because hard-drives hold more memory, are cheaper, and already have market share. I think the same thing will happen with these carbon "nanotubes". They may eventually catch on, but not for a long time, at least 10 years in my opinion.

ADD REPLY / Got an Opinion!	a humble request :-)	RAPID SEARCH!	Free Hosting	[X]
Express your Opinions, Thoughts or Contribute your information that might help someone here. Ask your Doubts & Queries to get answers.. "Together, We enlight each other!"	Register FREE for AD-FREE forum, Create your own topics, Ask Questions, track topics, setup subscriptions & notifications and Get a Free Website w/ Email and FTP.		500MB Space No Ads, CPanel, FTP, PHP, MySQL, EMails - 100% FREE

Carbon Nanotubes - Will they shape the future of computers?

Carbon Nanotubes - Will they shape the future of computers?

Latest Entries