Polymer/carbon nanotube composites: Challenges and opportunities

Due to their exceptional mechanical, physical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties, carbon nanotubes and especially single wall carbon nanotubes are playing a critical role in the development of high-performance polymer composites. Polymer/carbon nanotube composites are processed into films, fibers, and bulk composites with significant mechanical and physical property enhancements. Single wall carbon nanotubes have high specific surface area, which can be further increased in activated carbon/single wall carbon nanotube composites. Such composite systems are promising candidates for supercapacitor applications. While single wall carbon nanotubes offer outstanding opportunities in materials development, many of the predicted properties can be achieved only if the nanotubes are well dispersed, exfoliated, and oriented in the polymer systems of interest. Currently, research is in progress addressing these issues in conjunction with the processing and characterization of polymer/carbon nanotube composites.