What is SWCNT?
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT)
Single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) powder, dispersion, and conductive slurry forms can be screened for low-loading conductive networks, ESD, premium EMI layers, advanced electrodes, and thin coatings; available grade, supplied form, commercial role, and availability require confirmation.
Technical owner: Aurexene Materials Engineering Team · Last updated: 2026-08-30
Quick Answer
SWCNT is a carbon nanotube formed from one graphene sheet rolled into a single cylindrical wall. Powder, dispersion, and conductive slurry routes require grade-specific, document, and commercial confirmation before customer validation.
What It Is Not
- SWCNT is not MWCNT, carbon fiber, or carbon black. A two-wall nanotube is technically double-walled; any 1–2-wall description below is a supplier morphology statement for a named grade and may reflect a minor double-wall fraction.
When Not to Use It
- Avoid SWCNT when MWCNT or conductive carbon black can meet the target with a wider process window or lower cost.
- Avoid SWCNT when dispersion, viscosity, filtration, dust control, or production resistance uniformity cannot be validated.
- Do not select SWCNT for EMI or energy storage from a material-page claim alone; finished-layer or cell-level testing is required.
Intrinsic Screening Summary
- Identity screen
- Carbon; A SWCNT has one rolled graphene wall. Named Aurexene Materials powder grades use a supplier-reported 1–2-wall morphology that may include a minor double-wall fraction; confirm the selected grade's wall-count distribution and analytical method before qualification.
- Intrinsic feature
- Forms percolating conductive networks at low loading when the tubes are dispersed and preserved through the full process
- Material-level integration
- CVD growth conditions influence diameter and chirality distribution; purification changes catalyst residue, defects, bundle state, and dispersibility.
Application Fit
- Conductive Plastics & Coatings
Strong fit when a low-loading conductive network or thin conductive coating justifies tighter dispersion control.
- EMI Shielding Materials
Consider SWCNT for premium thin or lightweight EMI layers when network continuity and low loading justify cost and process control.
- ESD Materials
Strong screening fit for low-loading static-dissipative networks when surface resistance or static decay is measured in the final part or layer.
- Conductive Plastics & Coatings
Use a documented dispersion or conductive slurry form only when the carrier, dispersant, solids, rheology, and downstream process are compatible; confirm commercial role and availability during inquiry.
- Printed Electronics Inks & Conductive Pastes
- Transparent Conductive Films, Coatings & Fibers
Selection & Validation Framework
| Decision Question | Material-Level Answer |
|---|---|
| Dispersion and network retention | Fix carrier, dispersant, solids, addition order, wetting, deagglomeration, shear history, filtration, coating or compounding route, and drying before comparing resistance. Reject a route that meets conductivity only outside the usable viscosity, appearance, filtration, mechanical, or aging window. |
| Conductive-network and supplied-form qualification | Required for: ESD Materials, Conductive Plastics & Coatings, EMI Shielding Materials, and Energy Storage. Measure: grade identity, wall-count distribution, diameter, length, purity, and residue basis; supplied-form concentration, carrier, surfactant state, and rheology; dispersion and retained nanotube structure after processing; resistance distribution or shielding effectiveness in final geometry; mechanical, environmental, and storage aging; electrode and cell response when energy storage is in scope. Sample state: Exact grade and supplied form in the intended host, geometry, process, and conditioning state. Failure signals: Network, process, stability, or finished-system response misses the declared customer acceptance method.. |
Material Identity & Specification Status
Approved values for Density and Packaging are not published; confirm them during quotation or sample review.
| Property | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Carbon | |
| CAS / identity | 308068-56-6 | |
| Particle size | Diameter and length vary by synthesis, purification, and grade. Named Aurexene Materials supplier-grade specifications are listed below and are not universal SWCNT properties. | |
| Morphology | A SWCNT has one rolled graphene wall. Named Aurexene Materials powder grades use a supplier-reported 1–2-wall morphology that may include a minor double-wall fraction; confirm the selected grade's wall-count distribution and analytical method before qualification. | |
| Purity | Purity and residue values below apply only to the named supplier grades and stated analytical basis. Confirm current grade-specific TDS and COA limits. | |
| Storage | Store and handle only under the conditions in the current grade-specific TDS and SDS. Prevent powder dust generation and ignition sources; confirm dispersion temperature, shelf life, and agitation requirements by grade. | |
| Reference-grade powder bulk density | 0.10 g/cm3 for Sigma-Aldrich catalog grade 773735; not a Aurexene Materials grade specification | External catalog benchmark reported under ASTM D7481 |
| True density versus bulk density | True/material density and loose or tapped powder bulk density are different quantities and must not be substituted | Confirm definition, sample conditioning, and method for the selected grade |
Why It Works
Named-grade figures are supplier technical-data values for screening, not universal SWCNT properties or finished-system guarantees. Confirm the selected grade's composition, test methods, and acceptance limits before purchasing or scale-up.
| Structure | Function | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| One graphene sheet rolled into a high-aspect-ratio cylindrical wall | Forms percolating conductive networks at low loading when the tubes are dispersed and preserved through the full process | Long nanotubes bridge gaps between conductive domains; bulk performance still depends on bundle state, tube length, chirality and metallic/semiconducting distribution, junction resistance, matrix interaction, thickness, and processing history. |
Compare Material Routes
| Material / Route | Decision Boundary |
|---|---|
| MWCNT | Select SWCNT when low additive mass, fine conductive networks, or thin layers justify tighter dispersion and qualification control. Select MWCNT when cost, supply familiarity, robustness, or a wider processing window outweighs SWCNT network efficiency. |
| Conductive Carbon Black | SWCNT can reach a conductive network with less additive mass in a compatible, well-dispersed system. Conductive carbon black is often preferable when cost and forgiving bulk processing matter more than low loading or thin-layer performance. |
| FWCNT | Compare SWCNT and FWCNT directly for ESD and EMI network efficiency. Selection depends on actual grade morphology, dispersion, rheology, thickness, cost, and final-system test data. |
Technical Guides
| Technical Guide | Summary |
|---|---|
| DGU Separation for Semiconducting and Metallic SWCNT | Density-gradient ultracentrifugation separates Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT) fractions by surfactant-assisted density contrast, allowing semiconducting, metallic, and purified SWCNT grade routes to be screened with electronic-type, spectra, purity, dispersion, and device evidence. |
FAQ
When should a buyer select SWCNT rather than MWCNT?
Select SWCNT when low additive mass, a fine percolating network, or a thin conductive layer creates enough value to justify stricter dispersion, rheology, handling, and qualification controls. Select MWCNT when cost, processing latitude, and production robustness dominate.
Why do CVD growth, purification, and chirality matter?
CVD growth influences tube diameter and chirality distribution, which affect metallic or semiconducting behavior. Purification changes catalyst residue, defects, bundle state, tube damage, and dispersibility, so the current grade evidence matters more than the generic SWCNT label.
Which SWCNT supplied forms should be confirmed during qualification?
Confirm whether the evaluated route is powder, aqueous dispersion, or conductive slurry, together with the grade, concentration, carrier, surfactant, viscosity method, storage conditions, commercial role, availability, and document status before selection.
When should SWCNT be avoided?
Avoid SWCNT when a lower-cost carbon route meets the target, when black color or nanotube handling is unacceptable, or when dispersion, viscosity, filtration, resistance uniformity, finished-layer EMI, or cell-level performance cannot be validated.
Commercial Availability
Supplier role: Request confirmation
Supply status: Request confirmation
Sample status: Sample availability requires confirmation
Commercial details are not published until the source and verification fields are complete and the Supplier Data Packet is signed by the sales owner, technical reviewer, and resource/compliance owner. Request current grade, form, sample, packaging, and delivery confirmation.
Documents & Inquiry
Document access follows the current approval state. Unapproved or unavailable files route to a document request instead of a public download.
Technical Data Sheet
Request required
Safety Data Sheet
Request required
Grade, Sample & Qualification Support
Aurexene Materials supports requirements review, grade and supplied-form selection, document and sample requests, and quotation confirmation. Confirm the commercial role, availability, grade, form, concentration, carrier, surfactant, viscosity basis, storage, TDS, SDS, and COA during review; customer formulation, process, finished-layer, and cell validation remain required.
This inquiry and qualification path does not guarantee performance or availability:
- Requirements review
- Grade and supplied-form selection
- Document and sample review
- Customer formulation and process validation
- Scale-up quotation
Supplier-grade diameter, length, wall-count morphology, carbon purity, residue, viscosity, concentration, and storage values are screening data for the named grade only. Do not transfer them to another SWCNT grade or finished formulation without document review and application testing.
Review Lab Capabilities for sample evaluation and qualification support, or Production Capabilities for scale-up, quality, documentation, and supply support.
Request SWCNT Sample / Qualification Review