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 110-4 S/cm at (F) of 0.004, at least 610-9
S/cm at (F) of 0.001 and at least 310-16 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.