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Super lightweight carbon nanotubes created

Researchers at Cambridge University have developed a way to create strong, lightweight electrical cables out of a form of carbon which they believe can replace copper.

According to the researchers, the new carbon nanotubes and their compounds “exhibit extraordinary electrical properties for organic materials, and have a huge potential in electrical and electronic applications such as photovoltaics, sensors, semiconductor devices, displays, conductors, smart textiles and energy conversion device”.

These tubes have the potential to completely replace copper wire as the main material for conducting electricity.

Carbon nanotubes are thin, hollow cylinders that are only a tenth of the weight of copper, but are more similar to graphene and are much stronger and flexible, and can also be joined to conventional metal wires, the University says.

This article originally appeared on Ferret.com.au. To read the rest of the article in full, click here.

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