The invention relates to a composite comprising a weight fraction of single-wall carbon nanotubes and at least one polar
polymer wherein the composite has an electrical and / or
thermal conductivity enhanced over that of the
polymer alone. The invention also comprises a method for making this
polymer composition. The present application provides composite compositions that, over a wide range of single-wall
carbon nanotube loading, have electrical conductivities exceeding those known in the art by more than one
order of magnitude. The electrical
conductivity enhancement depends on the weight fraction (F) of the single-wall carbon nanotubes in the composite. The electrical
conductivity of the composite of this invention is at least 5 Siemens per
centimeter (S / cm) at (F) of 0.5 (i.e. where single-wall
carbon nanotube loading weight represents half of the total composite weight), at least 1 S / cm at a F of 0.1, at least 1×10−4 S / cm at (F) of 0.004, at least 6×10−9 S / cm at (F) of 0.001 and at least 3×10−16 S / cm (F) plus the
intrinsic conductivity of the polymer matrix material at of 0.0001. The
thermal conductivity enhancement is in excess of 1
Watt / m-° K. The polar polymer can be
polycarbonate, poly(
acrylic acid), poly(
acrylic acid), poly(
methacrylic acid), polyoxide,
polysulfide,
polysulfone, polyamides,
polyester,
polyurethane,
polyimide, poly(
vinyl acetate), poly(
vinyl alcohol), poly(
vinyl chloride), poly(
vinyl pyridine), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), copolymers thereof and combinations thereof. The composite can further comprise a nonpolar polymer, such as, a
polyolefin polymer,
polyethylene,
polypropylene,
polybutene, polyisobutene, polyisoprene,
polystyrene, copolymers thereof and combinations thereof.