Single wall carbon nanotube (CNT) manufacturer SouthWest NanoTechnologies (SWeNT, Norman, Oklahoma / USA; www.swentnano.com) has introduced a new category of speciality multi-wall CNT. The “SMW 100” materials have been developed for polymer composites that require better electrical and mechanical performance than are possible from conventional multiwall CNT, without the cost or dispersion difficulties associated with single wall CNT. SWeNT says that target applications for SMW materials include conductive polymers, reinforced elastomers, and “bucky paper” materials for structural composite manufacturing.

The company said that the specialty material fills the ‘gap’ between single wall CNT and conventional multiwall CNT. Conventional multiwall CNT products are typically used as a conductive additive for thermoplastic polymers but can result in mechanical properties being compromised. SWeNT claims that SMW can reduce or eliminate this compromise at a fraction of the cost of single-wall CNT.