Recent Developments Concerning the Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in Polymers

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 247 - 257
• Main Author: Grady, Brian P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 02.02.2010; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; carbon nanotube; Carbon nanotubes; Composites; Dispersions; Electrical resistivity; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; high performance polymers; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymers; Resistivity; Technology of polymers; composites; State of the art; Mixing; carbon nanotube; dispersions; Dispersion degree; Morphology; Carbon nanotubes; Polymer; high performance polymers; Nanocomposite; nanocomposites
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.200900514

The ability to control the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in polymers is key to most applications of nanotube‐polymer composites. This feature article describes recent advances in methods used to disperse carbon nanotubes and considers how these methods affect dispersion on different length scales. It is becoming increasing clear that perfect dispersion is not desired for many applications, in particular for electrical conductivity, and controlling the dispersion is key for proper function of the composite in its intended application. One key technological issue to enable the use of carbon nanotubes in polymer composites is to be able to predict and control nanotube dispersion. This feature article casts a critical eye on the science of dispersion, and also tries to predict where the field is headed.