Nanotechnology: Spinning continuous carbon nanotube yarns

The creation of continuous yarns made out of carbon nanotubes would enable macroscopic nanotube devices and structures to be constructed. Here we show that carbon nanotubes can be self-assembled into yarns of up to 30 cm in length simply by being drawn out from superaligned arrays of carbon nanotubes, and that the strength and conductivity of these yarns can be enhanced by heating them at high temperatures. Our findings should help to translate the remarkable mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of carbon nanotubes to a macroscopic scale.