From: Eugen Leitl (eugen@leitl.org)
Date: Sat Aug 24 2002 - 03:00:02 MDT
On Sat, 24 Aug 2002 Spudboy100@aol.com wrote:
> You think braided buckeytubes made out of carbon 60 or 70 are
> susceptible to electric current damage or or corsion? I don't, at
Metallic SWNT (MWNT is probably same or at least same ballpark) can carry
currents up to 10^9 A/cm^2 (normal metals can only do 10^5 A/cm^2). The
problem is that you haven't got a bundle of 0.1 Gm long single molecules
(then especially watch out for induced currents), and there will be arcing
which will turn anything into plasma.
Notice that the carbon cable (20 km iirc) in latest tethered satellite was
severed by arcing. Beanstalks are in geostationary orbit, but the magnetic
field moves a lot, especially during peak solar activity. Pipeline
designers have to deal with it, and it's Earth surface.
> least not what I have gathered regarding their vulnerability, in any
> material science paper. I could see this project being bottlenecked
Material science typically doesn't point out that arcing vaporises any
material (with the possible exception of strangletronium, or unobtainium).
This is something which most kids learn by shorting out a car battery, or
a large electrolyte capacitor.
> for decades by economics, but not by physical chemistry.
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