Carbon Nanotube Outer Coating Cuts Cable Weight by Half

While the primary purpose of the braided outer is shielding it has a secondary function to provide mechanical protection of the inner insulation sheath. Copper braid performs well under vibration, stretching and compression conditions, how well would a sprayed on 90 micron thick layer stand up to similar working conditions. I envisage stretching in particular to be a major problem as it is likely to induce cracks in the spray on layer. Rice University has a track record of attempting to attract external funding by announcing breakthroughs that work in the lab but that do not translate into industrial products. I would consider this a breakthrough if they had announced that it performs to all the criteria required of a co-axial cable not just the shielding part.