Polymer–carbon nanotubes composites obtained via radical polymerization in water-dispersed media

Obtaining composite materials based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) from water dispersion is viable nanotechnology with low impact on the environment and with concrete directions for advanced materials used in coating application. Emulsion, miniemulsion, or microemulsion polymerization techniques can offer by their nature the reducing of the interfacial tension (between MWCNTs and monomers). By free radical polymerization, MWCNT-polymer composites can be obtained in a greener manner by cutting off several supplementary technological steps involved by functionalizing (toxic reagents, energy consuming), solvent phase purification, and separation of the fillers. Providing such examples involving large tonnage polymers like polystyrene, SAN copolymer, polyacrylonitrile, poly(methyl methacrylate) and other, a detailed picture of the state of the art can be achieved for synthesis and application in automotive industry, aerospace, coating materials, antistatic materials, sensors, actuators, membrane production, fibers industry, and others. The chapter tries to answer to some technological bottlenecks: decreasing the environment impact and extending the areas of application by reducing the costs of MWCNTs processing for polymer composites as a natural step for the sustainable development of an MWCNT-composite industry.