# Nanotubes - Looks like good news **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 20, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827 "2005-08-20T00:12:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/21 "2005-08-21T13:53:38Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Cite? > It’s pure carbon. It may be very easy to recycle. While “cite?” is a pretty good response, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to establish product safety & toxicity. Seller, take care. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/22 "2005-08-21T14:50:39Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > And, this is _great_, we have **no freaking way to destroy/recycle/get rid of them when we are done using them!** > > Isn’t that _great_!? :rolleyes: :smack: :dubious: > > Just what environmental effect will this _wonder_ material have on our environment, when some doofus pitches it into my backyard from his car? > > **Never build something you can’t break when you need to**. While a little emotional, a good question. I cannot find any studies on the environmental impact of nanotube disposal. Until this week, I doubt anyone was thinking much about it as we were unable to produce enough for it to be a problem. Despite being carbon, it is not realistic to expect an easy recycling/disposal solution. My WAG is it will be a problem on the same scale as plastics. The potential benefits should out weigh the new source of landfill waste. In most cases the new material will replace a plastic and hopefully not contribute more waste but just a new type. Your final statement, which I bolded, is the only one I don’t understand. If someone can use nanotubes to make an unbreakable razor that never dulls and can be prices at lets say $90. Is this a bad thing? Or: We’ve got the cost down so low that potatoe chips are now coming in nanotubes bags and the darn things never decay. In this case back to my WAG on plastics. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/23 "2005-08-21T22:37:32Z")
If this is what they’re claiming it is, it’s the biggest advance in materials science since knapped flint. Knapped flint gave humans mastery over the planet; practical production of nanofiber would give us mastery over the solar system. But I’m not getting _too_ hyped just yet. It seems incredibly more likely to me that the claims we’re seeing here are significantly exaggerated somewhere between the researchers and us. I suspect that what they actually have is something one might call nanofiber felt, rather than something more cable-like. Which is still a very significant development, mind you, just not all that. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/24 "2005-08-21T23:00:01Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > While “cite?” is a pretty good response, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to establish product safety & toxicity. > > Seller, take care. I’ve heard two things on a health basis: 1. they’re a bitch if inhaled. 2. current ‘wads’ of nanotubes combust if expaised to a a flash of light. cite: [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/04/26/1213220](http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/04/26/1213220) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/25 "2005-08-22T00:04:03Z")
If it’s made of carbon, it will burn. Disposal will not be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/26 "2005-08-22T00:18:26Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > I’ve heard two things on a health basis: > > 1. they’re a bitch if inhaled. > 2. current ‘wads’ of nanotubes combust if expaised to a a flash of light. > cite: [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/04/26/1213220](http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/04/26/1213220) Gee, Slashdot, known for their scientific accuracy. 😉 > [@silenus](#): > > If it’s made of carbon, it will burn. Disposal will not be a problem. Do Diamonds Burn at a reasonable energy cost? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/27 "2005-08-22T00:24:44Z")
If they pan out like I think they will as elements in solar panels…yeah. For that matter they can be burned in a solar-powered furnace. The bitch is going to be in the collection and disposal of nanotube material. You can’t just toss it into a landfill. Or maybe you can. I don’t think anybody has done any studies on how fast they break down due to environmental conditions. For all we know, rats might be able to eat them. But furnaces exist today that can torch diamonds easily, and they are reasonably common. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/28 "2005-08-22T00:29:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If they pan out like I think they will as elements in solar panels…yeah. For that matter they can be burned in a solar-powered furnace. The bitch is going to be in the collection and disposal of nanotube material. You can’t just toss it into a landfill. Or maybe you can. I don’t think anybody has done any studies on how fast they break down due to environmental conditions. For all we know, rats might be able to eat them. But furnaces exist today that can torch diamonds easily, and they are reasonably common. Okay, but as you said, too soon to worry about the waste. Lets just keep ramping up the material production. There may be some great recycling possibilities anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/29 "2005-08-22T02:03:22Z")
If it’s much stronger than the material its replacing, then it should be a net benefit, environmentally, at least in terms of bulk. Whether it has some toxic property or other issue, I don’t know. But a car body made out of 300lbs of nanofiber is infinitely preferable to one made out of 1200 lbs of steel. Not only because it will take up less landfill space, but because it will probably be much more energy efficient to make, and a car that’s 900 lbs lighter will burn much less gas. But as I said before, there may be many other issues that make this stuff less than universally useful. Look at composites. On paper, they have all kinds of advantages over steel structures, but you don’t see a lot of composite airplanes. They don’t handle lightning strikes well, for one thing. For another, the material tends to degrade under medium heat - which is why almost all composite airplanes are painted white or a very light color. A composite shell for a car might be lighter than steel, but steel crumples in an accident and absorbs energy. Composites fracture. So we’ll have to wait and see, but from what I’ve seen so far this looks like a big step forward. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/30 "2005-08-22T05:00:13Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Look at composites. On paper, they have all kinds of advantages over steel structures, but you don’t see a lot of composite airplanes. from [here](http://www.engr.washington.edu/epp/cmc/) > [@](#): > > For example, composites will make up approximately 50% of the weight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a sharp increase from the 12% figure for the Boeing 777. AIUI, that 50% includes the entire fuselage. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/31 "2005-08-22T05:17:22Z")
Well, I meant composite aircraft as in the Beech Starship. Granted, the dividing line is starting to get smaller as more and more components are built from composite materials. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/32 "2005-08-22T15:34:33Z")
A little bit more info from [Best Syndication](http://www.bestsyndication.com/2005/Dan-WILSON/Whats_NEW/08/082105-nanotubes-nanotechnology-Australia-Texas.htm) > [@](#): > > A joint effort between the University of Texas and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has created industrial-ready material made of nanotubes. The scientists reported this in the Friday edition of the journal Science. > > The nanotubes are made of carbon and possess incredible strength. The sheets of nanotubes measure just a few times wider than the actual carbon atom, or 2 millionths-of-an-inch (2000 times thinner than paper). A square mile of this will could weigh as little as 170 pounds. The sheets are transparent, flexible and stronger than steel or high strength plastics. > > The sheets will emit light when they are heated. The nanotubes are similar to solar cells because they can produce electricity when exposed to sunlight. It is hoped that other future applications can be developed including artificial muscles, faster race cars and better batteries. > > The sheets can be produced very quickly. The real breakthrough is the automated process that can produce a 2 ¾ inch (5 centimeters) wide strip at a rate of 47 feet per minute. Previous methods have been much slower. …snip… ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/33 "2005-08-22T17:37:51Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Okay, but as you said, too soon to worry about the waste. Lets just keep ramping up the material production. > > There may be some great recycling possibilities anyway. I don’t really like this approach. I’d love to believe that nanotubes are the next great thing, but I’d also love to believe that some research was done ahead of time to figure out what they’ll do to the environment. History is full of wonder materials that turn into environmental disasters. Asbestos, for example – they used to love it so much they put it into every building material imaginable. Then… oops! That said, we’d be crazy if we didn’t explore the benefits of nanotubes. Go knows we need all the help we can get. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/34 "2005-08-22T18:02:16Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > I don’t really like this approach. I’d love to believe that nanotubes are the next great thing, but I’d also love to believe that some research was done ahead of time to figure out what they’ll do to the environment. History is full of wonder materials that turn into environmental disasters. Asbestos, for example – they used to love it so much they put it into every building material imaginable. Then… oops! > > That said, we’d be crazy if we didn’t explore the benefits of nanotubes. Go knows we need all the help we can get. I was replying to **silenus** but I will clarify. Now that we can finally start producing these in reasonable quantities, this would be a good time to start studying the side effects and recycling/waste disposal methods. However, we should pursue mass production at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/35 "2005-08-22T20:50:15Z")
I’m not too worried about disposal: we’ve been generating C[sub]60[/sub] and C[sub]70[/sub] for millenia - it’s produced by burning candles - with no known ill effects. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/36 "2005-08-22T22:55:27Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > A little bit more info from [Best Syndication](http://www.bestsyndication.com/2005/Dan-WILSON/Whats_NEW/08/082105-nanotubes-nanotechnology-Australia-Texas.htm) > > …snip… This might just have those Middle Eastern oil ticks soiling their burkhas in fear. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/37 "2005-08-23T00:39:20Z")
Who has the patent and are they publicly traded? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/38 "2005-08-23T01:14:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m not too worried about disposal: we’ve been generating C[sub]60[/sub] and C[sub]70[/sub] for millenia - it’s produced by burning candles - with no known ill effects. Yes, but there’s a big difference between small-scale and large-scale production. Also, burning hundreds of candles per year (or perhaps per month) is one thing (pre-Industrial Revolution), but burning the equivalent of thousands per day caused a great deal of problems (post-Industrial Revolution). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/39 "2005-08-23T01:32:53Z")
This is great. Solar power, transistors, armor, the benefits are endless if this is affordable and mass produced. They didn’t say how much a square yard would cost to produce and what that compares to other fabrics. However a part of me worries about the grad students & undergrad students who helped in this creation and if they will make any money off of this. That would suck if they just got a plaque for all their work on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827/40 "2005-08-23T02:07:38Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > This is great. Solar power, transistors, armor, the benefits are endless if this is affordable and mass produced. They didn’t say how much a square yard would cost to produce and what that compares to other fabrics. > > However a part of me worries about the grad students & undergrad students who helped in this creation and if they will make any money off of this. That would suck if they just got a plaque for all their work on this subject. Boy, I hope your right. Hopefully the Students get something big out of this but the Patents will not be theirs. The research was a project sponsored by US & Australia if I read it correctly. > [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Who has the patent and are they publicly traded? The patents have not yet been sold or licensed to any corp so far from what I can see, but I too can’t wait to find out. They are probably still pending anyway. I know I will be following this as closely as possible for the next year or more. This could be the advent of a whole new age. I am especially hopeful of the Flexible Solar Panel and LCD panels that can possibly be built with this tech. I wonder if this particular production technique will yield the forms of Nanotubes useful for Medicine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanotubes-looks-like-good-news/317827.md?page=3)