Aircraft modelling

 

A physics professor from the University of Houston in the US has forwarded a new plan to utilise inexpensive plastic in the manufacture of electronics in airplanes, computers and mobile phones.

Working under a grant from the US Air Force, Shay Curran has demonstrated that certain type of plastics, called polycarbonates, can have ultra-high electrical conductive properties if mixed with carbon nanotubes.

"While its mechanical and optical properties are very good, polycarbonate is a non-conductive plastic. That means its ability to carry an electrical charge is as good as a tree, which is pretty awful," commented Curran. "Imagine that this remarkable plastic can now not only have good optical and mechanical properties, but also good electrical characteristics. By being able to tailor the amount of nanotubes we can add to the composite, we also can change it from the conductivity of silicon to a few orders below that achieved by metals."

The implications for the materials are potentially huge. As these composites could be developed into an antistatic coating, they could provide protection against the build up of electrical and thermal charges which can cause computer crashes.

Curran emphasizes, however, that more work needs to be done.

Wired

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