Linkage device and method for dispersing carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The present invention discloses a linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes, comprising: a stirring assembly; an emulsifying assembly; a power pump; a rotatable spiral orientation assembly for aligning the carbon nanotubes in the emulsified and dispersed slurry; a rotatable squeezing and rubbing assembly for squeezing and rubbing the carbon nanotubes ejected by the spiral orientation assembly, the squeezing and rubbing assembly being sleeved on the outside of the spiral orientation assembly, the squeezing and rubbing assembly rotating in a direction opposite to that of the spiral orientation assembly; the stirring assembly, the power pump, the emulsifying assembly, the spiral orientation assembly, and the squeezing and rubbing assembly being sequentially connected to form a circulating linkage device. By arranging the spiral orientation assembly to align and eject the carbon nanotubes, and utilizing the squeezing and rubbing assembly rotating in a direction opposite to that of the spiral orientation assembly to squeeze and rub the carbon nanotubes, the carbon nanotubes can be dispersed without destroying their structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of carbon materials, and in particular to a linkage device and method for dispersing carbon nanotubes. Background Art

[0002] Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess high strength, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. CNTs and their composite materials are widely used in new energy vehicles, the digital and semiconductor industries, and power infrastructure. Large-scale commercial demand for CNTs is primarily driven by lithium batteries and conductive plastics, with lithium batteries accounting for over 80% of this demand.

[0003] The specific surface area of carbon nanotubes is usually between 100 and 1200 m 2 / g, its diameter is generally 2nm to 20nm, its length is 0.1μm to 3mm, and its aspect ratio is greater than 1000. Therefore, carbon nanotubes have a huge specific surface area and aspect ratio. In addition, there is a strong van der Waals force between carbon nanotubes, which makes them very easy to agglomerate, resulting in stress concentration in the composite material and decreased electrical and thermal conductivity. When using carbon nanotubes and their composite materials, the bundled agglomerated carbon nanotubes need to be dispersed to give full play to the excellent performance of carbon nanotubes.

[0004] However, due to the few surface defects and lack of active groups of carbon nanotubes, their dispersibility in water and various solvents is very low, which seriously affects the difficulty of carbon nanotube application. How to disperse carbon nanotubes evenly and stably is a key issue that needs to be solved urgently.

[0005] Currently, there are two main methods for dispersing carbon nanotubes: mechanical dispersion and chemical dispersion. Mechanical dispersion methods primarily include mechanical stirring and ball milling. Mechanical stirring has little effect on dispersing carbon nanotubes and is only suitable for initial breakup. Using a ball mill can disrupt carbon nanotube agglomerates to varying degrees, promoting dispersion. However, ball milling can sever carbon nanotubes, reduce their aspect ratio, and impair their mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Furthermore, ball milling can easily clog equipment and pipelines, necessitating the addition of small amounts of carbon nanotubes multiple times. Chemical dispersion methods often use surfactants, strong acids, and strong bases to treat carbon nanotubes. However, these agents often corrode the carbon nanotubes, destroying their original structure, thus affecting their performance. Furthermore, since the agents have difficulty penetrating the aggregates, a large number of carbon nanotube agglomerates remain in the matrix. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes, which can extrude and rub the carbon nanotubes using a spiral orientation component and a squeezing and rubbing component without destroying the structure of the carbon nanotubes. The circulating dispersion pipeline can be used to circulate the slurry mixed with carbon nanotubes multiple times to improve the dispersion effect.

[0007] To this end, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0008] The present invention provides a linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes, which comprises: a stirring component for stirring and dispersing a slurry mixed with carbon nanotubes; an emulsifying component for emulsifying and dispersing the stirred and dispersed slurry; a power pump for conveying the stirred and dispersed slurry in the stirring component to the emulsifying component; a rotatable spiral orientation component for orienting and arranging the carbon nanotubes in the emulsified and dispersed slurry; and a rotatable squeezing and rubbing component for squeezing and rubbing the carbon nanotubes ejected by the spiral orientation component, wherein the squeezing and rubbing component is sleeved on the outside of the spiral orientation component, and the rotation direction of the squeezing and rubbing component is opposite to that of the spiral orientation component; wherein the stirring component, the power pump, the emulsifying component, the spiral orientation component and the squeezing and rubbing component are sequentially connected to form a circulating linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the spiral orientation assembly includes a columnar body and a first drive mechanism in transmission connection with the columnar body, wherein the columnar body has at least one conveying channel;

[0010] In at least one embodiment, the squeezing assembly has a squeezing surface, which is arranged around the output end of the cylindrical body;

[0011] The first driving mechanism is used to drive the columnar body to rotate at a first speed, so that the carbon nanotubes are thrown out from the output port of the conveying channel and collide with the squeezing surface in a manner perpendicular to the squeezing surface.

[0012] In at least one embodiment, the inner diameter of the delivery channel gradually decreases in a direction from the input port to the output port.

[0013] In at least one embodiment, the conveying channel includes a spiral segment and a straight segment, one end of the spiral segment forms an input port, the other end of the spiral segment is connected to one end of the straight segment, and the straight segment relatively far from the end of the spiral segment forms an output port.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the straight segment is tilted outward relative to the axis of the columnar body.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the squeezing and rubbing assembly includes a rotating body and a second driving mechanism that is transmission-connected to the rotating body, the second driving mechanism is used to drive the rotating body to rotate at a second speed, the rotating body includes a first diameter segment and a second diameter segment connected to the first diameter segment, the first diameter segment is provided with a conical hole along its axial direction, the inner wall of the conical hole is configured as an squeezing and rubbing surface, the second diameter segment is provided with a circular hole along its axial direction, the circular hole is connected to the conical hole, wherein the diameter of the first diameter segment is larger than the diameter of the second diameter segment.

[0016] In at least one embodiment, the stirring assembly includes a stirring tank, and a first paddle and a second paddle rotatably disposed within the stirring tank, wherein the second paddle is disposed to the side above the low-speed paddle, has a rotational speed higher than that of the first paddle, and rotates in an opposite direction to the first paddle.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the linkage device also includes a pressure pump, one end of the pressure pump is connected to the power pump, and the other end of the pressure pump is connected to the emulsification component. The pressure pump is used to pressurize the stirred and dispersed slurry and then transport it to the emulsification component for emulsification and dispersion.

[0018] In at least one embodiment, the linkage device further includes a nozzle, which is connected to the emulsification component and the spiral orientation component, and is used to spray the emulsified and dispersed slurry to form droplets and particles and then transport them to the spiral orientation component.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for dispersing carbon nanotubes. The method for dispersing carbon nanotubes is performed by utilizing the linkage device of any of the above embodiments.

[0020] Effects of the Invention

[0021] In the present invention, a rotatable spiral orientation component is provided to orient and throw out the carbon nanotubes, and a squeezing and rubbing component in the opposite direction of rotation of the spiral orientation component is used to extrude and rub the carbon nanotubes thrown out by the spiral orientation component. The carbon nanotubes can be dispersed without destroying their structure. A circulating dispersion pipeline is provided to disperse the slurry mixed with carbon nanotubes in multiple cycles, thereby improving the dispersion effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the spiral orientation assembly and the squeezing assembly is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a delivery channel in a columnar body is shown.

[0025] Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of the outlet of the delivery channel is shown.

[0026] Figure 5 The figure shows the dispersion process of carbon nanotubes with misaligned heads after they come into contact with the squeezing component.

[0027] Figure 6 A diagram showing the dispersion process of head-aligned carbon nanotubes after they contact the squeezing component.

[0028] Figure 7 A diagram showing the dispersion process of entangled carbon nanotubes after they come into contact with a squeezing component.

[0029] Description of Reference Numerals

[0030] 1. Stirring assembly; 11. First power device; 12. Second power device; 13. First paddle;

[0031] 14. Second paddle; 15. Mixing tank; 16. Feed port; 17. Discharge port;

[0032] 2. Power pump;

[0033] 3. Pressure pump;

[0034] 4. Emulsification component;

[0035] 5. Spiral orientation assembly; 51. First drive mechanism; 52. First gear; 53. Second gear; 54. First connecting seat; 55. First bearing; 56. Columnar body; 57. Delivery channel; 571. Input port; 572. Spiral segment; 573. Straight segment; 574. Output port;

[0036] 6. Squeezing assembly; 61. Second drive mechanism; 62. Third gear; 63. Fourth gear; 64. Second bearing; 65. Rotating element; 651. First radial section; 652. Second radial section; 653. Conical hole; 654. Squeezing surface; 655. Circular hole; 66. Third bearing; 67. Second connecting seat;

[0037] 7. Nozzle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] To make the technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention more clearly understood, the following detailed description is given by way of specific embodiments. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and local features may be enlarged or reduced to more clearly illustrate the details of the local features. Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those in the technical field to which this application belongs.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "height", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like to indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of simplifying the description of the present invention, and do not indicate that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction, and should not be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0040] In this disclosure, the terms "first" and "second" are used solely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating the relative importance of the features indicated or the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this disclosure, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, and "several" means at least one, such as one, two, or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0041] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," and "disposed" should be understood broadly. For example, "connection" can mean fixed, removable, or integrated; it can mean mechanical or electrical; it can mean direct or indirect connection through an intermediary; it can also mean internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0042] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, when a first feature is “on,” “above,” “above,” “above,” “below,” “below,” or “below” a second feature, the first feature and the second feature may be in direct contact, or the first feature and the second feature may be in indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Moreover, when a first feature is “on,” “above,” or “above” a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the horizontal height of the second feature. When a first feature is “below,” “below,” or “below” a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than the horizontal height of the second feature.

[0043] Specific Examples

[0044] The following is based on Figures 1 to 5 The specific implementation of the linkage device according to the present invention is described in detail.

[0045] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the linkage device includes a stirring component 1, a power pump 2, an emulsifying component 4, a spiral orientation component 5 and a squeezing component 6.

[0046] Among them, the stirring component 1 is used to preliminarily disperse the slurry mixed with carbon nanotubes, the power pump 2 is used to transport the slurry in the stirring component 1 to the emulsifying component 4, the emulsifying component 4 is used to further emulsify and disperse the preliminarily dispersed slurry, the rotatable spiral orientation component 5 is used to orient the carbon nanotubes in the emulsified and dispersed slurry, and the rotatable squeezing and rubbing component 6 is sleeved on the outside of the spiral orientation component 5 and rotates in the opposite direction to the spiral orientation component 5, and is used to squeeze and rub the carbon nanotubes thrown out by the spiral orientation component 5.

[0047] The stirring component 1, the power pump 2, the emulsifying component 4, the spiral orientation component 5 and the squeezing component 6 are sequentially connected to form a circulating linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes.

[0048] By adopting the above technical solution, the rotatable spiral oriented component 5 can orient and throw out the carbon nanotubes, and the squeezing and rubbing component 6 in the opposite direction of rotation of the spiral oriented component 5 is used to squeeze and rub the carbon nanotubes thrown out by the spiral oriented component 5, so that the carbon nanotubes can be dispersed without destroying their structure. The formed circulating linkage device can disperse the slurry mixed with carbon nanotubes multiple times in a cycle, thereby improving the dispersion effect.

[0049] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the linkage device also includes a pressure pump 3, one end of which is connected to the power pump 2 and the other end is connected to the emulsification component 4, for pressurizing the preliminarily dispersed slurry and conveying it to the emulsification component 4.

[0050] In one embodiment, if Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the spiral orienting component 5 includes a columnar body 56 and a first driving mechanism 51 that is transmission-connected to the columnar body 56. The columnar body 56 has at least one conveying channel 57. The squeezing component 6 has a squeezing surface 654, which is arranged around the output end of the columnar body 56.

[0051] The first driving mechanism 51 drives the columnar body 56 to rotate at a first speed, so that the carbon nanotubes are thrown out from the output port 574 of the delivery channel 57 and collide with the squeezing surface 654 in a manner perpendicular to the squeezing surface 654.

[0052] Specifically, the carbon nanotubes are mainly thrown out from the conveying channel 57 by the centrifugal force generated when the columnar body 56 rotates and the conveying force generated by the conveying channel 57. They are also affected by inertia when being thrown out. When the first driving mechanism 51 operates at a first speed, the carbon nanotubes can collide with the squeezing surface 654 perpendicularly to the squeezing surface 654 under the corresponding centrifugal force, conveying force and inertia.

[0053] After being oriented by the spiral orientation component 5 , the carbon nanotubes collide with the squeezing surface 654 perpendicularly to the squeezing surface 654 , which can maximize the kinetic energy in the collision and apply it to the carbon nanotubes, effectively promoting the deformation and dispersion of the carbon nanotubes.

[0054] like Figure 5 a to Figure 5 As shown in c, the carbon nanotubes with misaligned heads, taking two carbon nanotubes agglomerated as an example, have the following dispersion process after contacting the squeezing and kneading component 6:

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown in a, the upper carbon nanotube head protrudes from the lower carbon nanotube, so the upper carbon nanotube head contacts the squeezing surface 654 before the lower carbon nanotube;

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown in b, the ejected carbon nanotubes are blocked by the squeezing surface 654 and are squeezed and deformed. At this time, the middle part of the upper carbon nanotube is arched, and thus the arched part is separated from the lower carbon nanotube.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown in c, as the collision continues, the lower carbon nanotube contacts the squeezing surface 654 and is also blocked by the squeezing surface 654 and is squeezed and deformed, and also arches and continues to separate from the upper carbon nanotube. Finally, the rotating squeezing surface 654 drives the carbon nanotubes on both sides to separate.

[0058] like Figure 6 a to Figure 6 As shown in c, the carbon nanotubes with their heads aligned, taking two carbon nanotubes agglomerated as an example, the dispersion process after contacting the squeezing component 6 is as follows:

[0059] like Figure 6 As shown in a, two carbon nanotubes with their heads aligned contact the extrusion surface 654 at the same time;

[0060] like Figure 6 As shown in b, the ejected carbon nanotubes are blocked by the squeezing surface 654 and are squeezed and deformed. At this time, the ends of the carbon nanotubes on both sides are arched and separated from each other.

[0061] like Figure 6As shown in c, as the collision continues, the arched portion becomes larger and larger, and the adhesion ratio becomes smaller and smaller. Finally, the carbon nanotubes on both sides are separated under the drive of the rotating squeezing surface 654.

[0062] like Figure 7 a to Figure 7 As shown in c, the entangled carbon nanotubes, taking two entangled carbon nanotubes as an example, the dispersion process after contacting the squeezing component 6 is as follows:

[0063] like Figure 7 As shown in a, the ejected carbon nanotube is blocked by the squeezing surface 654 and is squeezed and deformed, and the middle of the carbon nanotube is arched;

[0064] like Figure 7 As shown in b, due to the continuous rotation of the squeezing and rubbing component 6, the squeezing and rubbing surface 654 drives the first winding point close to its direction to be untied;

[0065] like Figure 7 As shown in c, the unwound part of the carbon nanotube continues to be blocked by the squeezing surface 654 and is squeezed and deformed, and also arches. Driven by the squeezing surface 654, the next winding point close to its direction is unwound. Finally, the rotating squeezing surface 654 drives the wound carbon nanotube to separate.

[0066] In one embodiment, if Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the first driving mechanism 51 is a motor, the first driving mechanism 51 is connected to the first gear 52, a second gear 53 is fixed to the outside of the columnar body 56, the first gear 52 is meshed with the second gear 53, and further, the columnar body 56 can also be integrally formed with the second gear 53.

[0067] It can be understood that the first drive mechanism 51 is not limited to a motor, but can also be a drive device such as a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. The transmission method between the first drive mechanism 51 and the columnar body 56 is not limited to gear transmission, but can also be a chain transmission, belt transmission or other transmission methods. As long as the first drive mechanism 51 cooperates with the transmission method to drive the columnar body 56 to rotate, it can be sufficient.

[0068] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the linkage device further includes a nozzle 7 , which is connected to the emulsifying component 4 and the spiral orientation component 5 , and is used to spray the emulsified and dispersed slurry to form droplets and particles, and transport them into the spiral orientation component 5 .

[0069] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the inner diameter of the delivery channel 57 gradually decreases in the direction from the input port 571 to the output port 574 .

[0070] Before passing through the conveying channel 57, the agglomerated carbon nanotubes in the droplet particles are in a disordered state with different directions. When entering the conveying channel 57, the input port 571 with a larger inner diameter facilitates the entry of the droplet particles. When passing through the conveying channel 57, the conveying channel 57 with a gradually smaller inner diameter will gradually correct the posture of the carbon nanotubes, so that the direction of the disordered agglomerated carbon nanotubes is continuously unified, completing the directional arrangement of the carbon nanotubes.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the input port 571 is set to 2 mm to 5 mm, and the inner diameter of the output port 574 is set to 0.1 mm to 1.8 mm.

[0072] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the conveying channel 57 includes a spiral section 572 and a straight section 573. One end of the spiral section 572 forms an input port 571, and the other end of the spiral section 572 is connected to the straight section 573. The end of the straight section 573 relatively far away from the spiral section 572 forms an output port 574.

[0073] When the droplet particles pass through the spiral section 572 , the direction of the spiral section 572 changes continuously, and the agglomerated carbon nanotubes in the droplet particles will continuously rub against the inner wall of the spiral section 572 , causing some of the carbon nanotubes to disperse.

[0074] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the straight line segment 573 is tilted outward relative to the axis of the columnar body 56 .

[0075] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the columnar body 56 is supported by the first connecting seat 54, and a first bearing 55 is arranged between the side of the columnar body 56 close to the nozzle 7 and the first connecting seat 54, and a retaining ring is sleeved on the side of the columnar body 56 close to the nozzle 7 to limit the axial movement of the first bearing 55 in the columnar body 56, and a sealing ring is arranged at the end of the first connecting seat 54 away from the nozzle 7.

[0076] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the squeezing and rubbing assembly 6 includes a second driving mechanism 61 and a rotating body 65 that are transmission-connected. The second driving mechanism 61 is used to drive the rotating body 65 to rotate at a second speed. The rotating body 65 includes a first diameter section 651 and a second diameter section 652 that are connected to each other. The first diameter section 651 is provided with a tapered hole 653 along its axial direction. The inner wall of the tapered hole 653 is configured as an squeezing and rubbing surface 654. The second diameter section 652 is provided with a circular hole 655 along its axial direction. The circular hole 655 is connected to the tapered hole 653. The diameter of the first diameter section 651 is larger than the diameter of the second diameter section 652.

[0077] In one embodiment, if Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the second driving mechanism 61 is a motor, the second driving mechanism 61 is connected to the third gear 62, a fourth gear 63 is fixed to the outside of the rotating body 65, the third gear 62 is meshed with the fourth gear 63, and further, the rotating body 65 can also be integrally formed with the fourth gear 63.

[0078] It can be understood that the second drive mechanism 61 is not limited to a motor, but can also be a drive device such as a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. The transmission method between the second drive mechanism 61 and the rotating body 65 is not limited to gear transmission, but can also be a chain transmission, belt transmission or other transmission methods. As long as the second drive mechanism 61 cooperates with the transmission method to drive the rotating body 65 to rotate, it can be sufficient.

[0079] In one embodiment, the rotating body 65 is supported by a second connecting seat 67, and a second bearing 64 is arranged between the side of the columnar body 56 away from the nozzle 7 and the first radial section 651 of the rotating body 65. The inner ring of the second bearing 64 is fixed to the columnar body 56, and the outer ring of the second bearing 64 is fixed to the rotating body 65. A retaining ring is provided on the side of the columnar body 56 away from the nozzle 7 to limit the axial movement of the second bearing 64 in the columnar body 56, and a sealing ring is provided at one end of the first radial section 651 of the rotating body 65 away from the second radial section 652.

[0080] A third bearing 66 is arranged between the second connecting seat 67 and the second radial section 652 of the rotating body 65, and a retaining ring is sleeved on the side of the second radial section 652 of the rotating body 65 away from the first radial section 651 to limit the axial movement of the third bearing 66 in the second radial section 652, and a sealing ring is provided at one end of the second connecting seat 67 close to the first radial section 651 of the rotating body 65.

[0081] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the stirring assembly 1 also includes a stirring tank 15, a feeding port 16 is provided above the stirring tank 15, a discharge port 17 is provided below the stirring tank 15, a first paddle 13 and a second paddle 14 are provided in the stirring tank 15, the second paddle 14 is provided on one side above the first paddle 13, the rotation speed of the second paddle 14 is greater than the rotation speed of the first paddle 13, and the rotation direction of the second paddle 14 is opposite to that of the first paddle 13, so that the slurry can form oscillation in the stirring tank 15, which is conducive to the dispersion of carbon nanotubes.

[0082] It is understandable that the first paddle 13 is driven by the first power device 11, and the second paddle 14 is driven by the second power device 12. The first power device 11 and the second power device 12 can be motors.

[0083] In one embodiment, if Figure 1As shown, the linkage device also includes a pressure pump 3, one end of the pressure pump 3 is connected to the power pump 2, and the other end of the pressure pump 3 is connected to the emulsification component 4. The pressure pump 3 is used to pressurize the dispersed slurry and then transport it to the emulsification component 4 for emulsification and dispersion.

[0084] Based on the above device, a dispersion method for dispersing carbon nanotubes is also provided, and the dispersion method includes:

[0085] The slurry containing carbon nanotubes and surfactant is added into the stirring tank 15 from the feeding port 16 above the stirring tank 15;

[0086] The first paddle 13 and the second paddle 14 in the stirring tank 15 rotate in opposite directions to stir the slurry, causing the slurry to vibrate in the stirring tank 15 and preliminarily disperse the carbon nanotubes.

[0087] Use the power pump 2 connected to the stirring assembly 1 to transport the slurry in the stirring tank 15 downstream;

[0088] One end is connected to the power pump 2, and the other end is connected to the pressure pump 3 of the emulsification component 4 to pressurize the preliminarily dispersed slurry and transport it to the emulsification component 4, and the preliminarily dispersed slurry is further emulsified and dispersed using the emulsification component 4;

[0089] The emulsified and dispersed emulsion is formed into droplets using a nozzle 7 connected to the emulsifying component 4 and the spiral directional component 5, and is transported to the spiral section 572 of the transport channel 57 of the spiral directional component 5. As the direction of the spiral section 572 changes continuously, the agglomerated carbon nanotubes in the droplets will continuously rub against the inner wall of the spiral section 572, causing some of the carbon nanotubes to disperse. Then, the carbon nanotubes enter the straight section 573 and are ejected from the output port 574 on the straight section 573. When passing through the transport channel 57, the transport channel 57, whose inner diameter gradually decreases, will gradually correct the posture of the carbon nanotubes, so that the direction of the chaotic agglomerated carbon nanotubes is continuously unified, completing the directional arrangement of the carbon nanotubes.

[0090] The squeezing and kneading assembly 6 is sleeved on the outside of the spiral orientation assembly 5 and rotates in the opposite direction to the spiral orientation assembly 5. The carbon nanotubes ejected from the conveying channel 57 collide with the squeezing and kneading surface 654 perpendicularly under the combined effects of centrifugal force, conveying force, and inertia, thereby squeezing and kneading the carbon nanotubes.

[0091] Among them, the stirring component 1, the power pump 2, the emulsifying component 4, the spiral orientation component 5 and the squeezing component 6 are connected in sequence to form a circulating linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes; after a predetermined number of cycles, the carbon nanotubes are dispersed and discharged from the discharge port 17 below the stirring tank 15.

[0092] It should be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not intended to encompass all possible implementations of the claims. Various modifications and variations may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, the various technical features of the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form additional embodiments of the present invention that may not be explicitly described. Therefore, the above embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention and do not limit the scope of protection of the patent of this invention.

Claims

1. A linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes, characterized in that: The linkage device comprises: A stirring component, used for stirring and dispersing the slurry mixed with the carbon nanotubes; An emulsifying component, used for emulsifying and dispersing the stirred and dispersed slurry; A power pump, used to transport the slurry stirred and dispersed in the stirring component to the emulsifying component; A rotatable spiral orientation component is used to orient the carbon nanotubes in the emulsified and dispersed slurry; A rotatable squeezing and rubbing assembly is used to squeeze and rub the carbon nanotubes ejected by the spiral orientation assembly. The squeezing and rubbing assembly is sleeved on the outside of the spiral orientation assembly, and the rotation direction of the squeezing and rubbing assembly is opposite to the rotation direction of the spiral orientation assembly. The stirring component, the power pump, the emulsifying component, the spiral orientation component and the squeezing component are sequentially connected to form a circulating linkage device for dispersing carbon nanotubes.

2. The linkage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spiral orientation assembly includes a columnar body and a first driving mechanism in transmission connection with the columnar body, wherein the columnar body has at least one conveying channel; The squeezing and rubbing component has a squeezing and rubbing surface, and the squeezing and rubbing surface is arranged around the output end of the columnar body; The first driving mechanism is used to drive the columnar body to rotate at a first speed, so that the carbon nanotubes are thrown out from the output port of the conveying channel and collide with the squeezing surface in a manner perpendicular to the squeezing surface.

3. The linkage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the conveying channel gradually decreases from the input port to the output port.

4. The linkage device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The conveying channel includes a spiral section and a straight section, one end of the spiral section forms the input port, the other end of the spiral section is connected to one end of the straight section, and the end of the straight section relatively far from the spiral section forms the output port.

5. The linkage device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The straight line segment is arranged to be inclined outward relative to the axis of the columnar body.

6. The linkage device according to claim 2, wherein the squeezing and rubbing assembly includes a rotating body and a second driving mechanism transmission-connected to the rotating body, the second driving mechanism is used to drive the rotating body to rotate at a second speed, the rotating body includes a first diameter section and a second diameter section connected to the first diameter section, the first diameter section is penetrated along its axial direction to form a tapered hole, the inner wall of the tapered hole is configured as the squeezing and rubbing surface, the second diameter section is penetrated along its axial direction to form a circular hole, the circular hole is connected to the tapered hole, wherein, The diameter of the first diameter section is greater than the diameter of the second diameter section.

7. The linkage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring assembly includes a stirring tank, and a first paddle and a second paddle rotatably arranged in the stirring tank, wherein the second paddle is arranged on a side above the first paddle, the rotation speed of the second paddle is higher than the rotation speed of the first paddle, and the rotation direction of the second paddle is opposite to that of the first paddle.

8. The linkage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage device also includes a pressure pump, one end of which is connected to the power pump, and the other end of which is connected to the emulsification component. The pressure pump is used to pressurize the stirred and dispersed slurry and then transport it to the emulsification component for emulsification and dispersion.

9. The linkage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage device also includes a nozzle, which is connected to the emulsification component and the spiral orientation component. The nozzle is used to spray the emulsified and dispersed slurry to form droplets and then transport them into the spiral orientation component.

10. A method for dispersing carbon nanotubes, characterized in that: The method for dispersing carbon nanotubes adopts the linkage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to disperse the carbon nanotubes.

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