Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite films using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-covered, well dispersed single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) exhibit significant improvement in tensile strength and modulus as compared to the control PVA and PVA/PVP/SDS films. The evidence of load transfer to the nanotubes in the composite film has been obtained from the shift in the Raman SWNT D* band peak position.

Poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) has been synthesized in the presence of singlewall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in poly(phosphoric acid) (PPA) using typical PBO polymerization conditions. PBO and PBO/SWNT lyotropic liquid crystalline solutions in PPA have been spun into fibers using dry-jet wet spinning. The tensile strength of the PBO/SWNT fiber containing 10 wt % SWNTs is about 50% higher than that of the control PBO fibers containing no SWNTs. The structure and morphology of these fibers have been studied.