I would like to prepare a conductive composite by dispersing CNTs in a polymeric matrix, but I wonder what type of carbon nanotubes are most suitable for this?
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes is suitable for making composite.
CNTs can be “metallic” or “semiconducting”. For preparing conductive composites the „metallic” SWCNTs can be are the best.
SWCNTs have very high electrical conductivity and the „armchair” tubes have been considered as quantum conductors with metallic properties and superior current- carrying capacity compared to copper. As-prepared single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are generally mixtures of semiconducting and metallic species, the proportion of the former being around .
Dont Forget that MWCNTs have a gap between the carbon layers and in case of SWCNTs no, is a continuos carbon layer. However many people use MWCNTs because they are cheaper that SWCNTs, and in same cases the gain of the conductivity of polimeric matrix is enough for mainstream of the nanoacomposite material.
If you have to prepare conductive coatings, the electronic conductivity of carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix would depend on a lot of factors such as dispersion, percolation threshold etc. So to generalize if SWCNTs would be better or MWCNTs is not so easy. Additionally, if you functionalize the nanotubes the conductivity further reduces.
If you are looking at cost, MWCNTs are cheaper. If you are looking at strength of nanocomposites, then I would suggest the use of graphene instead of nanotubes. Look at this article: "Two-dimensional nanostructure-reinforced biodegradable polymeric nanocomposites for bone tissue engineering", Biomacromolecules, 2013 Mar 11;14(3):900-9. doi: 10.1021/bm301995s
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23405887
Commercial MWCNT products are all very different and so is there dispersibility in the polymer matrix. Krause et al developed a dispersibility test. To get an idea about it you may look at
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-eBFrtlEwlhZTQ5NzA3NDYtM2I0Yi00ODI2LWFiYWMtMzNjMmY5NDI4NzZh/edit?usp=sharing
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