US Patent 7988893 - Fabricating CNT yarn

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7988893.html

This patent from Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn) is the latest in a series of patents disclosing manufacturing of longer yarn-like structures from carbon nanotube material useful for increasing the mechanical and electrical properties of cables, printed circuit boards, cloths, and other macroscopic articles. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for fabricating a carbon nanotube yarn, the method comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of carbon nanotube arrays;

(b) pulling out a first carbon nanotube structure from one of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays;

(c) pulling out a subsequent carbon nanotube structure from another one of the plurality of carbon nanotube arrays;

(d) joining a leading end of the subsequent carbon nanotube structure to a trailing portion of the first carbon nanotube structure by contacting the leading end of the subsequent carbon nanotube structure with the trailing portion of the first carbon nanotube structure, thereby forming a lengthened carbon nanotube structure; and

(f) treating the lengthened carbon nanotube structure with an organic solvent.