US Patent 7935276 - Polymers incorporating carbon nanospheres

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7935276.html

The high aspect ratio of carbon nanotubes can make uniform dispersion into polymers difficult. This patent from Headwaters Technology Innovation teaches using multiwall carbon nanospheres which may reduce this difficulty. Claim 1 reads:

1. A composite material comprising:

a polymeric material comprising a polymer or a polymerizable material; and

a plurality of carbon nanospheres dispersed in the polymeric material, wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise at least about 0.1% by weight of the composite material, wherein the carbon nanospheres comprise hollow, multi-walled particles having multiple graphitic layers with an outer diameter of less than about 1 micron, wherein the carbon nanospheres have an absence of surface functional groups.