Yudu County, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China sales3@ar-reagent.com 3170906422@qq.com
Follow us:



The Unfolding Story of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Promise, Progress, and Prudent Caution

Looking Back: From Discovery to Development

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) came onto the scientific scene in the early nineties, right around the time when folks began cracking the secrets of single-walled versions. Scientists like Sumio Iijima first snatched headlines with these cylindrical structures, which are basically rolled-up sheets of graphene stacked within each other. Some old-timers in the research community like to share how labs started with simple arc-discharge setups and hand-built gear, a far cry from today’s high-purity chemical vapor deposition rigs. This journey from humble beginnings to global industry reflects a larger story: how curiosity-driven tinkering turned into a major area of materials science, touching everything from automotive to water purification.

What Sets Them Apart

No one can ignore what makes MWCNTs worth the fuss. Structurally, they resemble a set of Russian nesting dolls, with several concentric tubes one inside the next. These tubes, each as thin as a few nanometers, stretch up to several microns long. This structure gives MWCNTs a bitter-sweet cocktail of properties—enviable electrical and thermal conductivity, remarkable tensile strength, and resistance to most chemical insults. Electrical conductivity puts them on par with metals like copper; the ability to take a physical beating makes kevlar thread look like rice paper in comparison. These characteristics draw the attention of engineers and researchers hungry for both performance and durability, often seeking answers to modern engineering’s biggest headaches.

Active Ingredients: Physical and Chemical Traits

MWCNTs carry more than their weight in any composite or device. Thanks to the graphitic carbon framework, they resist acids, bases, and most organic solvents on a normal day. High aspect ratios—thousands of times longer than wide—help build conductive paths or reinforce other materials. Surface area sits sky-high compared to bulk carbon, inviting anything from metal catalysts to enzymes to anchor themselves to the surface. They pack a punch by bringing both strength and flexibility, something traditional carbon fibers or metallic wires rarely balance. MWCNTs do not bend under heat like most plastics; they haul heat in and spread it out faster than nearly all polymers and outperform many metals on this front. These advantages aren’t just theory—real-world electronics, battery engineers, and polymer scientists lean on these traits during design and manufacturing.

Technical Specs and Labeling: Making Sense of the Details

Anyone buying or working with these nanotubes gets bombarded with numbers: diameter range, wall number, purity, length, and defect level. Diameter often starts at about 10 nanometers and stretches up to 100, with wall counts ranging from a handful to a few dozen. Purity means something—residual metal catalysts from production, carbonaceous debris, and water all get tracked. Real labs spend days characterizing, using transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Precision matters because tiny contamination or unexpected tube length can mean the difference between a next-generation flexible circuit and a batch of brittle, useless product. Inconsistent labeling hides risk, especially for startups without the means for thorough quality control. Solid, transparent reporting standards build trust and learning across the field, allowing researchers and businesses to speak the same language.

Roll Up Your Sleeves: Preparation Methods

Classic arc-discharge methods first put MWCNTs on the map, followed by laser ablation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Arc-discharge setups recreate conditions similar to graphite electrodes in welding, producing a hot plasma where carbon atoms reassemble as tubes. This approach often leaves behind metallic residues, which need tedious purification. Laser ablation melts a graphite target, letting vaporized carbon atoms cool and shape into tubes. CVD entered as the favorite for scale because it crafts tubes continuously from hydrocarbon vapors with metal catalyst particles dotted on a substrate. Growing these tubes involves tuning temperature, pressure, and the feed gas mix down to a whisker. From small research batches to tons of industrial product, CVD dominates for its reliability and reduced waste. Still, each method leaves a signature on the final product—arc-grown tubes might be longer but hold more metallic byproduct; CVD tubes balance quality and cost, thanks to better process control.

Chemical Reactions and Functional Tweaks

Raw nanotubes rarely leave the lab or workshop untouched. Scientists reach for functionalization techniques—stick chemistry directly onto the tubes—so they blend nicely into host materials or target certain molecules. Acid oxidation brings oxygen groups to the surface, making tubes play nicer with water and improving bonding in polymer composites. Covalent linking or non-covalent wrapping uses organic molecules or surfactants to change dispersibility. These tweaks help MWCNTs anchor in paints, hydrogels, resins, or target specific biomolecules for biosensing. Tweaking surface chemistry isn’t just an afterthought; it’s how the field answers the demand for customizability. Tailored reactions allow MWCNTs to steer clear of clumping, a headache that kills performance and consistency.

Aliases and Product Names: Sorting Through the Jargon

Ask around, and you’ll find a dozen ways to describe the same material. “MWCNT,” “Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes,” “Nano Carbon Tubes,” or simply “Nanotubes” surface in research, trade catalogs, and patent filings. Some suppliers brand them with proprietary names, but it’s the scientific jargon that gets thrown around at conferences and in technical meetings. Keeping tabs on synonyms reduces confusion and saves time, as a conversation about "double-walled" or "few-walled" nanotubes can quickly spiral into misunderstandings. Consistent naming is key, especially now that these materials sit at the intersection of research, regulation, and commercialization.

Keeping It Safe: Handling and Operational Practices

Working with MWCNTs demands respect. As a fine powder, these tubes float in air and can be inhaled, posing occupational hazards similar in many ways to asbestos. My time in the lab drove home the importance of proper masks, glove boxes, and thorough training long before local regulations kept pace. Material safety data sheets call out the importance of fume hoods, full PPE, and waste disposal protocols tailored to contain potentially hazardous nanoparticles. International exposure limits still lag behind research findings, leading some companies to opt for extra caution—dedicated ventilation, rigorous spill kit training, and restricted-access facilities are becoming the standard within responsible organizations. Commitment to safety requires constant vigilance from lab bench up through supply chains and recycling plants.

How Are They Used? Application Realities

MWCNTs jump into everything from lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and flexible electronics, to paint additives, reinforced concrete, and filtration units. Many EV battery teams look to them for highly conductive, strong, and lightweight additives that boost performance without cutting lifespan. Composite makers value how they raise the bar for mechanical strength and wear resistance in plastics, resins, and rubber. Even civil engineers have tried them out as nano-rebar in concrete for bridges. Clean water initiatives in some countries deploy MWCNT-based membranes to strain out industrial pollutants, aiming for cleaner rivers and oceans. Biomedical researchers test modified MWCNTs to ferry drugs or detect specific molecules, although safety remains a big question for medical uses.

On the Cutting Edge: Research and Development Progress

Money and minds continue to pour into the MWCNT space, fine-tuning everything from synthesis routes to ways of controlling defect density or purity. The field buzzes with patents for scalable, green, and low-cost methods, often spun off from university labs and public-private partnerships. Analytical chemists chase ever-better techniques for judging batch quality and teasing apart subtle flaws that might affect electrical or mechanical behavior down the line. Materials scientists in both academia and industry stay busy modelling how bundles or aligned networks of MWCNTs transfer charge, shed heat, or bear loads. Environmentally responsible production garners special attention—some new plants slash process emissions and recycle catalysts, while research dives into biodegradable composites. These efforts pave the way for both profitable businesses and more sustainable supply chains.

Wrestling With Toxicity: Research and Community Concerns

The drawbacks of MWCNTs cannot be swept aside. Early alarm bells rang when studies drew parallels to asbestos: their needle-like shape, respiratory persistence, and difficulty breaking down in biological systems. Animal tests and in vitro work found that certain forms induce inflammation or fibrotic changes in lung tissue. Debates rage over whether functionalized or purified MWCNTs lower risk, but consensus hinges on more data. Several countries now classify some MWCNTs as possible carcinogens, and a few have tightened regulations around workplace exposure and waste handling. Many researchers weigh benefits against unknown risks, applying the “as low as reasonably achievable” rule for exposure. Scientists, regulators, and worker advocates call for full-lifecycle studies, improved exposure detection, and worker surveys to close the gap in knowledge before major accidents or public health crises occur.

The Road Ahead: Prospects and Pitfalls

Few materials can claim the technical promise of MWCNTs—used properly, they change what’s possible in electronics, energy, and smart infrastructure. But that promise exists side-by-side with tough questions about cost, production scale, occupational safety, and long-term health impacts. Markets keep an eye on supply chain resilience, especially since any future ban or incident could throw projects off course. The way forward involves not only investing in better manufacturing and recycling, but also open data and cooperation between sectors. Linking breakthroughs in synthesis to real progress in standards and testing methods will help these materials thrive. Some predict a move toward hybrid structures, mixing MWCNTs with graphene or other nanocarbons, to squeeze out fresh applications. Real progress hinges on balancing bold engineering with patient, careful research on safety and sustainability—one of those tricky balancing acts that long defines whether any technology sticks around for the next generation.




What are the primary applications of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes?

Tougher Composites with a Tiny Twist

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) get a lot of attention for good reason. Think of a material that holds up under stress yet barely weighs anything. That’s what you find in carbon nanotubes. Put these into plastics, metals, or ceramics, and suddenly, a weak part stands up to drops, bumps, and pressure. This isn’t only about tough sports gear or aerospace panels. Even a simple cellphone or laptop case gains new life when tiny tubes mix in during manufacturing. People want their devices to survive a slip from their hands—manufacturers now have a fighting chance to deliver on that hope, thanks to MWCNTs.

Bending the Rules for Electronics

Electricity loves a smooth track, and MWCNTs make one of the best. Lay them down on a microchip or blend them into a film, and you’ve got wires that run with less resistance than copper and take up far less space. Makers of flexible screens, smart clothing, and sensors hunt for materials that carry a signal without killing battery life or breaking after a few twists. Carbon nanotubes bring power and subtlety where needed. Conductive inks and films loaded with nanotubes help create touch screens and even skin-like sensors for medical patches. In labs, I’ve seen even average equipment leap forward in accuracy when nanotube-enhanced sensors report tiny pressure changes that old tech misses.

Pushing Medicine Beyond the Needle

MWCNTs show promise in medicine, especially where tradition meets high tech. Drug delivery often means tricky timing and targeting. Picture cancer drugs slipping inside tumor cells rather than washing over the body. Researchers attach medicine to nanotubes, and those tubes sneak through cell walls to drop the payload. Imaging gains a boost too. Attach a tag to a carbon nanotube, and doctors can track where a disease spreads by watching that tag move during scans. The real fight comes with making sure tubes do their job without lingering in the body too long—but that’s real progress compared to yesterday’s blunt tools.

Cleaner, Greener Possibilities

Energy storage challenges turn into opportunities with MWCNTs. Batteries and supercapacitors ask for materials that hold charge and release it fast. Mix in nanotubes, and the performance rises. Cars, trains, and even home energy systems now reach for batteries packed with tiny tubes to store more energy without weighing down the load. There’s work ahead in scaling this up and making sure processes stay safe. Yet the improvement in charge cycles and speed can’t be ignored.

Facing the Gaps

As fast as demand grows, so do questions about safety and ethics. Factories want to crank these materials out, but health experts ask if breathing in loose nanotubes could cause lung problems. Rules lag behind reality. Labs need to focus on making nanotubes safer for workers and end users. Calls for biodegradable or removable versions are growing. If the path forward brings public trust—transparent labeling and strict oversight—nanotubes could fly even higher.

Bringing It to the Everyday

For all their high-tech buzz, MWCNTs already influence daily routines. Lightweight sports gear, longer-lasting batteries, finer touch screens—these shifts aren’t dreams; they’re sitting on shelves and in pockets. The next step involves not just chasing bigger numbers on lab tests, but finding smart ways to use nanotubes without leaving health, jobs, or the environment behind.

What is the difference between Single-Walled and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes?

Looking Under the Microscope

Researchers spotted carbon nanotubes decades ago and since then, many have been curious about their different types—most notably, single-walled and multi-walled versions. At a glance, both look like rolled-up sheets of carbon atoms. The difference comes down to layers, and this small change sparks big debates in labs and workshops every day.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: The Solo Flyer

Single-walled carbon nanotubes, or SWCNTs, use just one layer of carbon atoms stitched into a tube. They look almost perfect at a molecular level—like a flawless straw, smooth and slender, usually with a diameter around one nanometer. This slim figure gives them some remarkable features. Electrical engineers use them in tiny transistors and sensors because they allow electrons to scoot through without much resistance. Their strength, thanks to that one-atom thickness, often outpaces steel. They also bend easily and bounce back instead of breaking, which always surprised me on my first dive into nano-scale materials research.

Researchers value that SWCNTs show either metallic or semiconducting behavior based purely on how their carbon hexagons line up. This means tuning them for use in nano-electronics feels realistic. Despite serious technical promise, growing large batches of SWCNTs with identical properties rarely comes easy. Getting pure batches from a messy production mix eats up time and money, making commercial scaling tough.

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: The Russian Doll

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes, or MWCNTs, bundle several tubes inside each other, like those wooden Russian dolls that fit one inside the other. Each layer offers more thickness—sometimes up to 100 times wider than a SWCNT. These extra shells give the structure extra muscle and reduce how much the outer tube deals with direct stress. I once saw a demo where a film of MWCNTs flexed under weight, springing back without a dent.

Once manufacturers learned they could make MWCNTs in bigger batches for less cash, factories across Asia and Europe took notice. For uses where low cost and sheer size matter—think strong plastic composites, heat-conducting parts for electronics, or electrodes for large batteries—MWCNTs fit the bill. They don’t care as much about electrical perfection; it’s their durability and bulk that stand out.

Why Sorting These Out Becomes Crucial

Choosing the right type of nanotube shapes the outcome of research and industry projects. For folks in electronics, purity and predictable behavior hold the spotlight, so SWCNTs promise more. Companies that design super-strong bike frames or tough phone shells lean towards MWCNTs because price and strength make the biggest difference.

Risks still exist. Inhaling loose nanotube powder—either type—raises real questions about long-term health safety. Lab protocols have adjusted. Universities now run safety training before anyone starts handling these nanomaterials. I often see more personal protective equipment on students crowded around synthesis equipment than I used to, signaling how seriously the risk gets taken today.

Moving Toward Smarter Use

Newer sorting techniques help separate types and improve control over batches. Several startups in Germany and the US focus just on clean SWCNT production, using processes such as density gradient ultracentrifugation or selective chemistry. Industry partners testing MWCNTs add layers of surface chemistry so the tubes mix better with plastics and resins, pushing products closer to market. Smarter rules around worker exposure and environmental cleanup standards have helped, too, though plenty of work lies ahead to balance growth with safety and quality.

What are the typical physical and chemical properties of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes?

Why Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Grab Attention

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) attract curiosity across labs and factories for good reason. These tiny cylinders, crafted out of layers of rolled-up graphene sheets, deliver a unique set of physical and chemical traits that have researchers, doctors, and engineers all wrestling for bandwidth to explore new applications.

Physical Strength That Bends Expectations

Holding a sample of MWCNTs for the first time feels unremarkable—just a light, fluffy powder. Dig beneath the surface and their toughness quickly stands out. MWCNTs can stretch and flex while resisting fractures better than most metals or ceramics. They boast tensile strengths in the gigapascal range, meaning a fiber thinner than a hair could tow a car without snapping. This muscle paired with low density explains why aerospace and sports equipment manufacturers keep a close eye on them.

MWCNTs stand out for their aspect ratio, with diameters ranging from about 5 to 50 nanometers and lengths in the micrometer or even millimeter territory. The surfaces look smooth under an electron microscope, but each tube locks in hundreds of concentric layers, like Russian nesting dolls, adding to their rigidity.

Chemical Nature and Reactivity

MWCNTs like to keep to themselves chemically. They resist acids, bases, and even strong oxidizers under room temperature. In the lab, I’ve watched as they sit through conditions that eat away at aluminum foil and some plastics without flinching. This stability makes handling easier, though dispersing them in liquids or plastics sometimes needs a little coaxing since they clump together — a result of their strong van der Waals forces.

Getting MWCNTs to play well with others often requires functionalization. Chemists put groups like carboxyl or hydroxyl on the surfaces to improve compatibility with different materials. Once hooked up with these groups, the tubes can bond with epoxy, polymer, or metal matrices more securely, which boosts performance in batteries, solar cells, or even tissue scaffolds.

Electrical and Thermal Conductivity

One of the big headlines for MWCNTs is how fast they move electrons and heat. An individual tube can display electrical conductivity rivaling copper or silver, provided it lines up the right way. MWCNTs’ multi-layer structure brings extra pathways for charge, though not every tube delivers the same punch—defects and impurities matter. In my own work, carefully prepared batches show little resistance, letting us build lightweight wiring or antistatic coatings.

On the thermal front, MWCNTs conduct heat up to 3000 Watts per meter-Kelvin. This kind of performance finds a home in heat sinks or thermal interface materials. Once, I sat through a demonstration where a computer chip outfitted with MWCNT-based paste ran cooler by several degrees during stress testing. That’s a small step, but it hints at the promise for energy saving and device longevity.

Potential Solutions to Production and Safety Concerns

Scaling up MWCNT production without sacrificing quality gets tricky. Impurities from catalysts used in synthesis, such as iron or nickel, can stick around, limiting performance or raising safety concerns. Analytical labs spend days chasing trace metals and sorting through nanotube batches by size and purity. Using cleaner production methods, or closing the loop with tighter purification steps, can solve a lot of these issues.

Safety also pops up in conversation. MWCNTs have raised some concerns over lung exposure, due to similarities with asbestos in shape and size. Using cleaner handling protocols, better containment, and clear labeling means users can keep these risks in check.

Looking Forward

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes sit on the cusp of transforming products from concrete to supercapacitors. Their plain appearance hides a host of properties—toughness, stability, electrical and thermal superhighways—that promise stronger, lighter, and smarter technologies. Staying smart about how we make and use them opens the door to safer, more innovative engineering for years to come.

Are Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes safe to handle and use?

The Promise and the Problem

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) seem like a breakthrough. They strengthen plastics, make batteries last longer, and boost electronics. I’ve seen researchers light up over their potential in everything from medical devices to solar panels. The excitement is real—and justified—but there’s a catch most people gatekeep from the average consumer or lab tech. When you’re handling a powder with needles as thin as a virus and stronger than steel, you want to know: is this safe?

Real Risks, Not Just Hype

Stories travel through labs faster than data, and the worry about breathing in tiny fibers is a common one. There’s a reason. MWCNTs, when airborne as dust, can stick in the lungs. Some studies found they irritate the lining, and certain forms cause damage that doesn’t just go away after you stop breathing them in. Research comparing these fibers to asbestos started this comparison for good reason—long, thin nanotubes look a bit like asbestos under the microscope. In mice, some nanotube types triggered scarring in the lungs. Japanese studies showed that injecting them into the abdominal cavity could even spark tumors similar to those linked with asbestos.

After reading those papers, I picture a chemistry lab: someone opening a jar, a little puff of dust, gloves and goggles on but no real thought to what’s floating in the air. Most folks don’t think about particles you can’t see. MWCNTs bring up questions about long-term health because even researchers don’t fully know what happens after twenty years of low-level lab exposure. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) labeled one type of MWCNT as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” That’s not a minor label.

Practical Handling: What Actually Works?

By trial and error, most seasoned researchers adopt rules: never handle dry powder outside a fume hood, use a P3-grade dust mask, swap cotton lab coats for antistatic ones, and keep wet methods over dry as much as possible. These aren’t just over-the-top precautions—they lower your risk where real evidence shows risk exists. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that controlling dust with proper ventilation and handling nanotubes in suspension—or with minimal agitation—cuts risks significantly. I remember one engineer who used a vacuum with a special HEPA filter to clean up after experiments, and another who swears by sticky mats at lab doors.

Rules work only if people follow them consistently. New lab techs and students need the why behind the rules, and universities along with companies must make safe handling easy and the norm, not the exception. Regular air monitoring, stricter rules for personal protective equipment, and training help, but old habits and budget cuts often stand in the way.

Regulation, Transparency, and Solutions

Governments tend to lag behind new tech, but the tide is shifting. Agencies in Europe and the US started moving toward stricter guidelines for MWCNT use in industry settings. Product labeling still lags, especially with consumer items where nanotubes are hidden in plastics. Strong policies push companies to share what’s actually inside their products and how to safely dispose of waste.

Some scientists call for registeries of exposure and long-term studies tracking those who work with MWCNTs. Simple changes—like tracking who handles these materials and how, keeping records, and being honest about accidents—can have a big health payoff. At the end of a workday, nobody wants to find out years later that a shortcut led to real harm. The promise of new tech means little if we ignore the basic lessons learned from asbestos and other materials of the past. Take the risk seriously, use common sense lab safety, and demand clarity all along the supply chain. That’s how MWCNTs become both a breakthrough and a safe bet for everyone.

How should Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes be stored and transported?

Understanding the Material at Hand

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) might as well be called “industrial spaghetti,” given their fine, tangle-prone structure. Unlike some materials that rest quietly in storage, MWCNTs challenge almost everything about safe handling. Those tiny tubes pack a punch when it comes to health and safety. Inhaling them is hazardous, and a cloud of fine nanotube dust feels almost inevitable if someone gets careless. Where I worked in an R&D lab, conversations about new materials always pivoted to containment before creativity.

Health, Safety, and Common Sense

Anyone handling MWCNTs has seen the push from occupational health professionals. Inhaling even a tiny amount can lead to lung trouble or, over a few years, possibly even cancer. Nobody likes the image of greyish-black dust floating toward their lungs. NIOSH and OSHA give pointed advice: keep MWCNTs in airtight containers, free from cracks or faulty seals. In my former workplace, we kept less than fifty grams in tough, screw-cap jars with tamper-proof tape. For larger shipments, a double-bagging method worked: tough polyethylene inside, then a plusher outer drum, every surface labeled clear as day.

What Works in Storage

MWCNTs lodge in glass, polyethylene, or polypropylene containers. Nobody should trust flimsy bags because these tubes can slip right through the smallest holes, especially as a fine powder. Humidity plays a trick on these materials; they clump together, get hard to handle, and create uneven distribution during experiments or industrial mixing. In the worst cases, moisture leads to clumping or surface oxidation, and those changes matter for precision work. Laboratories and warehouses controlling humidity with desiccants—silica gel packs, for example—report fewer issues. Temperature swings are another silent problem, so a cool, dry, steady shelf works far better than somewhere near radiators or sunlight.

Getting Safely from Point A to Point B

Once, while receiving a rush order of research-grade MWCNTs, the external drum arrived dented and the inner seal looked suspect. This triggered a full inspection and clean-up drill. It turns out, even suppliers can miss small details. This material deserves double packaging: sealed primary vessels inside rugged drums or boxes, all labeled with hazard warnings and clear shipping information. Courier companies working in regular delivery cycles often lack protocols for hazardous powders, so specialized carriers who log regulatory paperwork matter more here than most places.

Every country takes its own approach. In the European Union, people follow REACH guidelines, while in the U.S., the Department of Transportation (DOT) and EPA play their own roles. MWCNTs need paperwork—a lot of it—for customs and transport. Customs officers with little background in nanotechnology sometimes slow down urgent shipments, so it pays to double-check documents and provide clear safety instructions on every package.

Reducing Risks and Improving Practices

Spreading information helps more than any single piece of gear. Training makes the process less mysterious, and nobody thrives on surprise exposure to harmful nanodust. I’ve seen firsthand how regular checklists—are containers intact, are labels legible, are storage areas clean and secure—make a difference.

Engineering controls such as glove boxes, fume hoods, and HEPA-filtered storage rooms lift a weight off everyone’s mind. Investing in better safety protocols might look like a drag on the budget, but one small mishap with these materials can shut down labs or even entire facilities for days. The reality is simple: storing and moving MWCNTs safely protects people and keeps research and production on track—exactly the sort of everyday discipline that matters in real science and business.

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Names
Preferred IUPAC name multiwalled carbon nanotube
Other names MWCNT
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Multi-walled CNT
MWNT
Carbon nanomaterial
Carbon nanotube, multi-walled
Graphite nanotubes
Pronunciation /ˌmʌl.ti ˈwɔːld ˈkɑː.bən ˈnæn.oʊ.tuːbz/
Identifiers
CAS Number 308068-56-6
Beilstein Reference 13615994
ChEBI CHEBI:39184
ChEMBL CHEMBL4297958
ChemSpider 21542441
DrugBank DB03247
ECHA InfoCard 03ab1e10-5c11-470e-96b6-cd3095a4a5c2
EC Number 231-955-3
Gmelin Reference 37318
KEGG C17302
MeSH D000077155
PubChem CID 24822245
RTECS number GF989V897
UNII QF397331WJ
UN number UN3480
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) DTXSID8036483
Properties
Chemical formula C
Molar mass Molar mass: Variable (depends on tube length and diameter; typically based on carbon: 12.01 g/mol × number of carbon atoms)
Appearance Black powder
Odor Odorless
Density 1.9–2.1 g/cm³
Solubility in water insoluble
Vapor pressure Negligible
Acidity (pKa) ~2-4
Basicity (pKb) 6.5
Magnetic susceptibility (χ) 1.9 × 10⁻⁶ cm³/g
Refractive index (nD) 1.96
Dipole moment 0.00 D
Thermochemistry
Std molar entropy (S⦵298) 10.7 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) 0 kJ/mol
Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) -394 kJ·mol⁻¹
Pharmacology
ATC code V09AX10
Hazards
Main hazards Suspected of causing cancer.
GHS labelling GHS07, GHS08
Pictograms GHS08,GHS07
Signal word Danger
Hazard statements H351: Suspected of causing cancer.
Precautionary statements Precautionary statements: "P201, P202, P260, P264, P270, P272, P280, P308+P313, P314, P405, P501
Autoignition temperature 600°C
Lethal dose or concentration LD50 Oral - Rat - > 2,000 mg/kg
LD50 (median dose) > 1000 mg/kg (Rat, oral)
PEL (Permissible) PEL (Permissible): 1.0 fiber/cm³ (TWA)
REL (Recommended) 1 mg/m³
IDLH (Immediate danger) Not Established
Related compounds
Related compounds Carbon nanotube
Single-walled carbon nanotube
Fullerene
Graphene
Buckyball
Carbon fiber
Nanodiamond