The market intention is to develop new products with enhanced properties, a reduced carbon footprint, and extended durability. Graphene nanotubes, also known as single-walled carbon nanotubes, facilitate a unique combination of properties in coatings, including targeted conductivity, durability, high performance, and aesthetic appearance. Each graphene nanotube is a sheet of graphene rolled into a tube with a wall thickness of a single atom of carbon, a diameter of about 1.2–2 nanometers and a length of around 5 microns. This material has an extremely high aspect ratio — the ratio of length to diameter — which results in graphene nanotubes’ unique morphology and performance.
Graphene nanotubes are one of the strongest materials on Earth, with a similar conductivity to copper. They are very flexible in contrast to stiff multi-walled carbon nanotubes. When evenly dispersed, they can achieve targeted conductivity and can improve mechanical properties at dosages hundreds of times lower than that of other conductive additives. Graphene nanotubes allow manufacturers to create completely new materials or market products with a full set of required properties. Here, the specific properties of graphene nanotubes that enable them to enhance different types of industrial coatings will be explored.