Fibers made up of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as a new high-performance material with an exceptional combination of properties derived from those of the CNT building blocks. These fibers can be produced by spinning a CNT aerogel directly from the gas-phase during CNT growth by chemical vapour deposition. The process is continuous and can currently spin fibers at rates of 100m/min. The unique yarn-like structure of CNT fibers gives them exceptional toughness, resilience to bending stresses, extremely high surface area and good integration in polymer matrices. This work shows an overview of the production, properties and prospects of this new high-performance fiber.
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