Yahoo group space-elevator From: "vincecate" Date: Sun Jun 27, 2004 7:04 pm Subject: Re: Scientist Sees Space Elevator in 15 Years --- In space-elevator@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Seeberger" wrote: > Edwards said he probably needs about two more years of development on > the carbon nanotubes to obtain the strength needed. After that, he > believes work on the project can begin. The highest GPa for a CNT rope that I know of was about 1 GPa from the guys who spun nanotubes about a year ago. Has anyone seen any higher number for a rope since then? We need like 40+ GPa. If we are holding at 1 GPa for the last year, it does not seem like our progress is fast enough to warrant a prediction of a factor of 40 in the next 2 years. Does Edwards just plan on getting longer and longer carbon nanotubes so that when they are spun they hold together better? Or does he have some other idea he is working on to bind them into a rope? Or does anyone else have some method that is looking more promising than spinning them? How much longer are the best carbon nanotubes now than when those guys spun them and got 1 GPa? Has anyone else spun longer nanotubes and if so did they get twice the rope strength with twice the nanotube length? Note that I am well aware that individual carbon nanotubes are far stronger than 1 GPa. But you can not do a lot with a single molecule, even a really strong one, so it is ropes that really interest me. -- Vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vincent Cate Space Tether Enthusiast vince@o... http://spacetethers.com/ Anguilla, East Caribbean http://offshore.ai/vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have to take life as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it. - German Proverb