Summary: Carbon-Nanotube-Based Electrical Brush Contacts
By Geza Toth, Jani Ma¨klin, Niina Halonen, Jaakko Palosaari, Jari Juuti,
Heli Jantunen, Krisztian Kordas, W. Gregory Sawyer, Robert Vajtai,* and
Pulickel M. Ajayan
Sliding electrical contacts are ubiquitous in electric motors and
various forms of monolithic metal ­ carbon composite brushes
and filamentous precious metal brushes represent the highest
performance materials available. There is a tremendous
opportunity to develop a whole new class of high-performance
brush contacts using aligned films of carbon nanotubes,
possessing super-compressibility,[1]
high electrical and thermal
conductivity,[2­3]
mechanical strength,[4]
tunable friction beha-
vior,[5]
and environmental insensitivity. Here, we demonstrate the
feasibility of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)
brushes as a new and superior alternative to the traditional
high-performance brushes for electrical contacts. These brushes

Source: Ajayan, Pulickel M. - Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Rice University
Sawyer, Wallace - Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida

Collections: Engineering; Materials Science