Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes

Catalog NumberACM1333864-233

CAS Number1333-86-4

CategoryNano Flame Retardant

Purity	Carbonaceous Purity：60-70%
Density	1.2-1.5 g/cm³
Storage	Sealed, avoid light, and keep dry at room temperature. Expiry date: 6 months
Content	Metal content wt% from TGA in air：<30
Size	Bundle Length:1-5µm Bundle Diameter:2-10nm

Case Study

Carbon Nanotubes as Synergistic Flame-Retardant Additives in Polyurethane Coatings for Textiles

Wesolek, D., et al. Journal of Nanomaterials 2014.1 (2014): 727494.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), including single-walled (SWCNT) and multiwalled (MWCNT) types, act as effective synergistic agents with phosphorus-based flame retardants in polyurethane (PU) back-coatings, significantly reducing the flammability of natural fiber fabrics.
Fabrication Process: PU resin was mixed with 0.5 wt% SWCNT or MWCNT and ultrasonicated for 2 h to achieve homogeneous dispersion. Ammonium polyphosphates (APP423, APP750) or melamine polyphosphate (MPP) were then added at 5-15 wt% using a high-speed homogenizer. The composite was coated onto cotton/flax fabric (45/55) and cured at 140 °C.
Performance Evaluation: SEM confirmed good dispersion of MWCNT in PU, while SWCNT showed slight agglomeration. Pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry (PCFC) revealed that the PU/CNT coating alone reduced peak heat release rate (HRR_max) by ≈20% compared to pure fabric. Adding 15 wt% APP423 with MWCNT lowered HRR_max from 200 W/g (neat fabric) to 67 W/g (66% reduction), demonstrating a strong synergistic effect. Thermogravimetric analysis showed earlier but milder decomposition due to intumescent char formation, which was strengthened by CNTs. The coated fabrics remained flexible and crack-free.
Application Significance: CNTs enable high-efficiency, low-loading flame-retardant back-coatings for textiles, suitable for furniture, transport, and protective clothing.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Multifunctional Additives for Electrically Conductive and Flame-Retardant Cellulose Composite Paper

Anderson, Robin E., et al. Journal of Materials Chemistry 20.12 (2010): 2400-2407.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) act as effective fillers for producing cellulose-based composite paper with improved electrical conductivity and enhanced flame retardancy, while maintaining acoustic properties.
Fabrication Process: SWCNTs (unpurified, PK-8) were dispersed in water using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer. The dispersion was mixed with bleached hardwood kraft pulp and alum (retention aid), then formed into handsheets via standard papermaking techniques. The final sheets contained up to 35 wt% SWCNT.
Performance Evaluation:The composite paper achieved an electrical conductivity of 3.78 × 10^-2 S/cm at 35 wt% SWCNT loading, an eight-order-of-magnitude increase over neat paper. Cone calorimetry showed that despite a shorter ignition time (32 s vs. 52 s for control), the SWCNT-paper had a 33% shorter burning time, 31% lower peak heat release rate (65.0 vs. 94.4 kW m^-2), and 50% lower total heat release (0.76 vs. 1.53 MJ m^-2). The effective heat of combustion dropped from 13.4 to 6.2 MJ/kg. Acoustic reflection coefficients remained unchanged, indicating no negative impact on sound absorption. Tensile strength decreased by 48% due to the high loading of amorphous carbon and SWCNT aggregates.
Application Significance: SWCNT-cellulose composites offer a simple, scalable route to multifunctional paper for packaging, electromagnetic shielding, and fire-safe building materials.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Multifunctional Fillers for Flame-Retardant and EMI-Shielding Waterborne Polyurethane Composites

Pan, Junyu, et al. RSC advances 15.36 (2025): 29646-29653.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) act as highly effective conductive and flame-retardant fillers in phosphorus-containing waterborne polyurethane (WPU) coatings, simultaneously providing excellent fire safety and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
Fabrication Process: SWCNTs (average bundle diameter 8.32 nm, Iᴅ/Iɢ = 0.058) were prepared by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition. SWCNTs (5-20 wt%) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP, 1 wt%) were incorporated into WPU via in situ polymerization. The composite coatings were cast and cured.
Performance Evaluation: At 15 wt% SWCNT loading, the composite achieved a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 34.1% and UL-94 V-0 rating, with a damage length of only 4.6 cm in vertical burning tests, while retaining its original morphology. TGA showed a char residue of 30.7 wt% at 800 °C. Electrical conductivity reached 4.52 S/cm, and EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) was 21.8 dB in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz). The reflection component (SEr, 4.6-19.3 dB) increased more rapidly than absorption (SEa, 4.9-9.6 dB) with higher SWCNT content, indicating that conductivity enhancement dominates shielding. After 1000 bending cycles, EMI SE decreased by only 1.8%, demonstrating excellent durability.
Application Significance: SWCNT-based composites offer lightweight, durable, and fire-safe building materials for walls and wearable electronics requiring EMI protection.

If the product of interest is not available in our catalog, please contact us to see if there is any relevant stock or other purchase channels.