Galvorn carbon nanotube (CNT) wire and cable offer unique advantages over traditional metal conductors like copper and aluminum. They are ideal for specialized applications, particularly where lightweighting and durability is critical. This guide provides an overview of Galvorn wiring solutions, including its benefits, considerations, and potential future applications.
Key Advantages of Galvorn CNT Fibers
Galvorn combines conductivity and superior light weight with the flexibility of a textile and durability of high-end polymers. Download specifications sheet.
- High Conductivity (Per Weight): The conductivity of Galvorn is nearly equivalent to copper on a per mass basis. In other words, Galvorn can conduct the same amount of electricity as copper, you just need more of it by volume. Many wire applications, including as signal wire and data transfer wire, do not need the full conductivity of copper.
- Lightweight and Strong: Galvorn wiring is about half the density of aluminum with 30 times its strength. Or, if copper is your frame of reference, it's 1/6th the density of copper and 8 times stronger. These properties offer significant promise for weight-sensitive aerospace and automotive applications.
- Flexible & Durable: With 100x the flex life of copper, Galvorn fibers and yarns behave like a textile. They can form highly flexible wiring, making them useful in robotics, wearable electronics, and medical implants. Even phone charging cables, which are constantly wound and unwound.
- Superior Bend Radius: Galvorn also has a superior bend radius. This has the benefit of being able to install the Galvorn wiring solutions in tight spaces.
- Superior Heat Dissipation: Galvorn conducts heat well with a thermal conductivity of 450 W/m-K. For comparison, copper’s thermal conductivity is 385 W/m-K. Heat dissipation is useful in high-performance electronics and power cables. Particularly where the application can take advantage of Galvorn’s textile-like form factor, which offers a variety of ways to increase surface area and thus heat transfer, Galvorn could significantly outperform copper. For example, this phenomenon is key to our ongoing work with Rice University to improve the efficiency of industrial heat exchangers.
- Corrosion & Oxidation Resistance: Unlike copper, Galvorn does not corrode or oxidize over time, making it useful for harsh environments.
Ready for the harshest environments.
Watch how Galvorn continues to conduct electricity even when exposed to the intense heat of a blow torch.
Best Applications for Galvorn Carbon Nanotube Wiring Solutions
Lightweight wire and cable is especially critical in aerospace and automotive applications. Reducing weight in aircraft and spacecraft lowers fuel consumption and increases payload capacity. For satellites and space probes, ultra-lightweight materials can optimize launch costs and performance. For cars, it impacts fuel efficiency or battery range.
Wiring makes up a huge portion of these vehicles, whether they operate in space, in the air, or on land. Consider a satellite which can have anywhere from several to over 20 kilometers of wiring. A Boeing 787, or Airbus A380, can have around 500 kilometers (310 miles) of wiring. Or, consider a typical modern car or EV, which can have over 5,000 feet of wiring.
Lightweight Carbon Nanotube Signal Wire
Signal wire makes up a significant portion of modern aircraft and cars. It also requires less electrical conductivity than wiring used to power motors or actuators.
For aircraft, these wires carry electrical signals that convey information like flight data, engine parameters, cockpit inputs, and more. Avionics, controls, and sensor systems rely heavily on signal transmission. An estimated 50-70% of wiring in a plane is "signal wire."
Similarly, cars have a growing need for transferring data between real-time sensors and systems. A typical car can contain anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand feet of signal wire. It depends on the vehicle's complexity and number of electronic components. Modern luxury cars potentially use close to a mile of signal wire in their wiring harnesses.
In fact, Galvorn can be both the wire and the sensor. Some DexMat customers are using Galvorn as the sensors, specifically integrating it into carbon fiber composite for continuous structural health monitoring.
Galvorn signal wire could significantly reduce the weight of aircraft and automotive vehicles. At DexMat we’ve demonstrated that replacing 28 AWG copper signal wire with Galvorn wire reduces weight by ~70 grams per 100 m of wire. When you consider that signal wire makes up an estimated 50-60% of aircraft wiring and 60-70% of modern vehicle wiring, that kind of weight savings adds up. Combined with its superior mechanical properties, there is massive opportunity to improve the performance and efficiency in the aerospace and automotive industries.
Things to Consider When Using Galvorn CNT Wire
Galvorn is a new material, so there are some considerations when using it for wire and cable.
- Lower Conductivity (Per Volume): As we noted, on a per mass basis, Galvorn is about as conductive as copper. By volume, however, the conductivity is lower. Therefore if you need electricity transmitted through smaller diameter wires, stick with copper. If you can be flexible on diameter and/or need less conductivity, Galvorn is a great option.
- High-Frequency Communication Wire: Another exception with respect to Galvorn's conductivity vs copper is in high frequency communication cables, or wire. Galvorn actually performs better at higher frequencies than copper. This makes it potentially suitable for 5G, radar, and satellite communication systems.
- Termination: There are specific types of solders that have been developed for carbon-based materials that do work on Galvorn and we have used them successfully. Crimping is also effective at terminating Galvorn to a terminal such as a pin, watch video below.
Above: An insulated Galvorn wire equivalent to 28 AWG. Note, insulating the wire makes it much more stiff and easier to handle for termination. If this is a requirement for your application, please contact us to discuss your specific needs.
Ready to try Galvorn?
Historically, the high cost of production and limitations in manufacturing scalability have been a challenge for the industry. At DexMat, we have made exponential strides in solving these challenges. We can produce kilometers of Galvorn wire. We work closely with our customers to meet their volume and price requirements.
Whether you're considering carbon nanotube wire or carbon nanotube cable, Galvorn is a great option. You can order samples from our online shop. Or, contact us to discuss your specific application requirements so we can help you select the right product.
Learn more about Galvorn lightweight EMI shielding.