Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube Composites Lower than Expected

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that adding carbon nanotubes to plastics increases the thermal conductivity of the composite by a factor of two or three over the unreinforced plastic. Engineering models had predicted a 50-fold increase in conductivity. The discrepancy seems to be related to the interfacial bond between the nanotubes and the plastic.