Quality, production capacity and production cost have been identified as the current barriers to the implementation of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers within the industrial markets and military applications where such materials offer superior performance benefits. Significant use of nanotubes and nanofibers will require substantial increases in production volume coupled with decreases in production cost of < $ 15/Kg. Based on low cost, high-volume, high yield, and the ability to highly control diameter, length and chirality, a Mechanosynthesis process was selected as the most viable approach for a scalable, top down mass manufacturing process of nanoscale structures such as nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanofibers that are continuous.

 

Index Terms- Mechanosynthesis, nanomanufacturing, nanoimprinting, nanofibers, material science.