What is MWCNT?
Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT)
For engineering teams comparing industrial MWCNT powder and aqueous dispersion routes, this page supports technical qualification in conductive compounds, ESD, EMI, battery-electrode, and electrothermal systems. Aurexene Materials' commercial role and current availability require confirmation.
Technical owner: Aurexene Materials Engineering Team · Last updated: 2026-08-30
Quick Answer
Select an industrial MWCNT powder or aqueous MWCNT dispersion by matching the supplied form to the host system, dispersion capability, retained nanotube structure, processing history, and required document or sample qualification.
What It Is Not
- MWCNT is a multi-walled carbon nanotube, not a single-walled CNT, carbon fiber, or carbon-black grade.
When Not to Use It
- MWCNT is generally unsuitable where the finished system must remain transparent, light colored, or electrically insulating; route those decisions through the relevant Application or Comparison page.
Intrinsic Screening Summary
- Identity screen
- Multi-walled carbon nanotube; Multi-walled, high-aspect-ratio tubular carbon
- Intrinsic feature
- Final electrical behavior depends on grade, dispersion, retained aspect ratio, loading, host matrix, processing history, geometry, and measurement conditions. Although individual nanotubes can have high intrinsic thermal conductivity, composite-level heat transport is limited by nanotube-to-nanotube and nanotube-to-matrix interfaces, orientation, and dispersion.
- Material-level integration
- Powder gives the formulator direct control of incorporation but requires a suitable wetting and deagglomeration route. Aqueous grades provide a pre-dispersed route with grade-specific CNT content, viscosity, and surfactant state. Confirm compatibility with the host system and process, then qualify dispersion stability and retained nanotube structure in the intended formulation.
Application Fit
| Application | Suitability | Conditions | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conductive Plastics & Coatings | EXCELLENT | Established screening route when black appearance and an electrically conductive network are acceptable. | Qualify dispersion, rheology, mechanical-property retention, process history, and resistance uniformity in the intended host. |
| EMI Shielding Materials | GOOD | Candidate conductive-network route when the shielding architecture can accept black color and electrical conductivity. | Validate frequency range, thickness, geometry, grounding, dispersion, processing damage, and the applicable shielding test method. |
| ESD Materials | EXCELLENT | Established screening route for black, electrically dissipative compounds and coatings where a connected nanotube network is acceptable. | Qualify resistance range and uniformity after processing, conditioning, aging, and lot variation; dispersion and rheology remain system dependent. |
| Battery Conductive Additives for Lithium-Ion Electrodes | GOOD | Candidate conductive-additive route for battery electrodes when the selected grade can be integrated into the slurry and electrode architecture. | Validate dispersion, slurry rheology, coating uniformity, processing damage, electrode impedance, cell chemistry, cycling, and storage in the intended cell system. |
| Conductive Plastics & Coatings | GOOD | Powder and aqueous grades provide different starting routes for dispersion development. | Match the grade to the medium and process, then validate wetting, deagglomeration, viscosity, retained aspect ratio, stability, filtration, and batch repeatability. |
| Photothermal & Electrothermal Systems | GOOD | Candidate route for opaque or embedded electrothermal elements that can use an MWCNT conductive network. | Validate resistance uniformity, electrode and busbar design, voltage and power limits, hot spots, cycling, dispersion stability, geometry, and visible appearance in the finished heater. |
| Heat Dissipation | CONDITIONAL | Secondary use case as an electrically conductive thermal-path modifier when the host can accept black color, electrical conductivity, and matrix-specific network development. | Not a primary electrically insulating TIM filler; validate composite-level heat transport, interfaces, orientation, dispersion, electrical leakage, rheology, and geometry before treating thermal improvement as a design benefit. |
Selection & Validation Framework
| Decision Question | Material-Level Answer |
|---|---|
| Grade and network qualification | Compare the selected grade in the intended host after representative mixing, forming, curing, or drying because processing can redistribute, shorten, orient, or re-agglomerate nanotubes. Use the relevant Application or Technical Guide for system-specific measurements and acceptance criteria. |
| Conductive-network and process-retention screen | Required for: Conductive Plastics & Coatings, ESD Materials, and EMI Shielding Materials. Measure: grade identity, supplied form, and lot evidence; dispersion and retained nanotube structure; rheology and process-window stability; resistance distribution after conditioning; shielding effectiveness when EMI is in scope; mechanical retention and environmental aging. Sample state: Final host, loading, geometry, process history, and conditioning state. Failure signals: Resistance, shielding, rheology, mechanical retention, or aging misses the 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 |
|---|---|
| Composition | Multi-walled carbon nanotube |
| CAS / identity | 308068-56-6 |
| Particle size | MWCNT powder 8-20 nm diameter and 10-30 um length; dispersion bundle metrics vary by grade. |
| Morphology | Multi-walled, high-aspect-ratio tubular carbon |
| Purity | Grade-specific supplier values: MWCNT powder carbon content >99%; YXL060 and YXL061 >99.8%; YXL062 90%; YXL050 >94%. Confirm the selected grade and the stated purity basis before specification use. |
| Storage | Store dry, cool, and well ventilated. Listed dispersions: 5-50 C, <95% RH, factory sealed, 6 months; prevent powder dust generation and ignition sources. |
Why It Works
Grade rows are supplier technical-data values for the listed Aurexene Materials CNT family routes. They identify the supplied material or dispersion; they are not finished-system performance guarantees and require matrix-specific validation.
| Structure | Function | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| High-aspect-ratio, multi-walled tubular carbon supplied as powder or as grade-specific aqueous dispersions. | Connected MWCNT networks can provide electrical pathways in a host material. | Final electrical behavior depends on grade, dispersion, retained aspect ratio, loading, host matrix, processing history, geometry, and measurement conditions. Although individual nanotubes can have high intrinsic thermal conductivity, composite-level heat transport is limited by nanotube-to-nanotube and nanotube-to-matrix interfaces, orientation, and dispersion. |
Compare Material Routes
MWCNT vs SWCNT vs Conductive Carbon Black vs VGCF
MWCNT is the established tubular-network route in this four-way screen. Compare it with SWCNT when low additive mass or thin networks justify tighter control, with conductive carbon black when robust particulate processing and cost dominate, and with VGCF when directional fiber transport or reinforcement matters. Validate every route in the same host, process, geometry, conditioning state, and test method.
| Material / Route | Decision Boundary |
|---|---|
| SWCNT | SWCNT can be considered when a finer low-loading network or thin conductive layer justifies tighter dispersion and qualification control. MWCNT is often the more practical screen when process latitude, production robustness, supply familiarity, and delivered functional cost carry more weight. |
| Conductive Carbon Black | Conductive carbon black is the robust particulate route when conventional mixing, cost control, and a forgiving bulk process dominate. MWCNT is favored when a high-aspect-ratio network can reduce the loading needed to reach the target without exceeding the dispersion, viscosity, or mechanical-property window. |
| Carbon Fiber / VGCF | Carbon fiber or VGCF is the directional fibrous route when transport orientation or reinforcement is part of the design. MWCNT is the more isotropic network-building screen when fiber orientation, surface finish, or breakage creates unacceptable variation. |
| GNP | MWCNT offers a tubular network route; GNP offers a platelet route with different orientation, contact, rheology, and anisotropy behavior. Select only after comparing the intended matrix, process direction, electrical or thermal path, and measurement geometry. |
| Graphene | MWCNT and graphene create differently shaped conductive networks with different dispersion, interface, and orientation sensitivities. The useful route depends on the supplied grade and finished-system processing and validation, not a universal material ranking. |
Technical Guides
| Technical Guide | Summary |
|---|---|
| Wetting and Dispersing Conductive Additives in Aqueous and Solvent-Based Slurries | Separate liquid wetting, deagglomeration, and hold-time stabilization; choose aqueous or solvent-based routes from the actual carbon, active material, binder, solvent, pH, ions, residue, safety, drying, and electrochemical boundary rather than a universal dispersion recipe. |
| Deagglomeration Energy: Breaking Clusters Without Destroying Functional Structure | Deagglomeration Energy: Breaking Clusters Without Destroying Functional Structure — a method-conditioned engineering guide for Conductive Plastics & Coatings covering structure-function behavior at the material, interface, and finished-system boundary, process limits, validation, and qualification boundaries. |
| How Conductive Networks Form Differently in Thermoplastics, Thermosets, Adhesives, and Coatings | How Conductive Networks Form Differently in Thermoplastics, Thermosets, Adhesives, and Coatings — a method-conditioned engineering guide for Conductive Plastics & Coatings covering structure-function behavior at the material, interface, and finished-system boundary, process limits, validation, and qualification boundaries. |
| How Percolation and Contact Resistance Control Shielding Effectiveness | Connect formulation-specific network formation and junction resistance to frequency-dependent EMI shielding without treating DC conductivity as a complete shielding predictor. |
| Preserving CNT and Hybrid Networks During High-Shear Slurry Mixing | High-shear mixing must open bundles and distribute phases without unacceptable CNT shortening, platelet fracture, aggregate change, heating, contamination, air, or later network loss; define the window with interruption-state morphology and processed-electrode results. |
FAQ
Which MWCNT supplied forms should be confirmed during qualification?
MWCNT powder and aqueous-dispersion routes can be screened during technical qualification. Confirm Aurexene Materials' commercial role, availability, grade, supplied form, concentration, viscosity basis, surfactant state, package size, and document status during inquiry.
How should an engineer choose between MWCNT powder and an aqueous dispersion?
Choose powder when the formulation and equipment can control wetting, deagglomeration, dust, and addition sequence. Choose an aqueous dispersion when its carrier, CNT content, viscosity, surfactant state, stability, and downstream process are compatible with the intended system.
How does MWCNT compare with SWCNT, conductive carbon black, and VGCF?
MWCNT is an established high-aspect-ratio network route. SWCNT can favor finer low-loading networks, conductive carbon black can favor robust particulate processing and cost, and VGCF can favor directional transport or reinforcement. Compare delivered functional cost and final-part data under the same formulation, process, geometry, and test conditions.
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
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Safety Data Sheet
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Related resources
Grade, Sample & Qualification Support
Aurexene Materials supports MWCNT requirements, grade, document, sample, qualification, and quotation review. Commercial role and current availability require confirmation; this support does not replace customer formulation, process, finished-part, or application validation.
This inquiry and qualification path does not guarantee performance or availability:
- Requirements review
- Powder or dispersion grade selection
- Document and sample review
- Customer process and application validation
- Scale-up quotation
Grade availability, package size, lead time, pricing, TDS/SDS status, COA availability, regulatory evidence, and lot controls must be confirmed for the selected industrial MWCNT grade during inquiry. No material-page statement is a finished-system performance guarantee.
Review Lab Capabilities for sample evaluation and qualification support, or Production Capabilities for scale-up, quality, documentation, and supply support.
Request MWCNT Sample / Qualification Review