APPLICATION OF THE MONTH: NANOTUBE COMPOSITES

Since the very beginning composite materials have somehow been a ?natural? application for carbon nanotubes. This was good news for the investors always looking for a clear market potential and for lots of scientists that could seize a new opportunity. Interest from both groups has been growing steadily, as the field is maturing and nanotubes are now readily available from a plethora of suppliers. The early movers definitely knew where to put their efforts and they lead by far in this race toward a technological El Dorado. But this lode still shows potential and the purpose of this article is to arouse interest among material scientists not yet familiar with carbon nanotubes and their use in composites. Research on composite applications is motivated by the impressive range of remarkable attributes of carbon nanotubes including unparalleled conductive, structural, thermal, and optical properties.