Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have garnered significant interest in the field of nanotechnology owing to their unique structure and exceptional properties. These materials find applications across a diverse array of fields, including electronics, environmental science, energy, and biotechnology. CNTs serve as potent reinforcing agents in polymer composites; even minimal additions can significantly improve the mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of polymers. With the growing demand for polymer composites across various industries, there is an anticipation for CNT/polymer composites to evolve in increasingly diverse directions. This paper reviews recent advancements in the manufacturing techniques of various CNT/polymer composites and discusses the enhancements in their mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Furthermore, it explores the potential applications of these composites.

The mechanical properties of the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are dependent on the interfacial interaction and adhesion between carbon fibers (CFs) and polymer matrices. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how modifying the CFs can influence the properties of these composites. This review outlines recent research progress with a focus on the relationship between the interfacial and mechanical properties of CFRPs and provides a systematic summary of state-of-the-art surface modification techniques. These techniques are divided into four categories: (i) wet, (ii) electrochemical, (iii) dry, and (iv) polymer matrix modifications. Several strategies for enhancing the interfacial interactions and adhesion of CFRPs are discussed, providing insights for future trends.

In this study, soft magnetic metal was coated on carbon fibers (CFs) using an electroless FeCoNi-plating method to enhance the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of CFs. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and a vibrating sample magnetometer were employed to determine the morphologies, structural properties, and magnetic properties of the FeCoNi-CFs, respectively. The EMI shielding behavior of the FeCoNi-CFs was investigated in the frequency range of 300 kHz to 3 GHz through vector network analysis. The EMI shielding properties of the FeCoNi-CFs were significantly enhanced compared with those of the as-received CFs. The highest EMI shielding effectiveness of the 60-FeCoNi-CFs was approximately 69.4 dB at 1.5 GHz. The saturation magnetization and coercivity of the 60-FeCoNi-CFs were approximately 103.2 emu/g and 46.3 Oe, respectively. This indicates that the presence of FeCoNi layers on CFs can lead to good EMI shielding due to the EMI adsorption behavior of the magnetic metal layers.

Activated carbon (AC) and activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are materials with a large specific surface area and excellent physical adsorption properties due to their rich porous structure, and they are used as electrode materials to improve the performance of adsorbents or capacitors. Recently, multiple studies have confirmed the applicability of AC/polymer compo-sites in various fields by exploiting the unique physical and chemical properties of AC. As the excellent mechanical properties, stability, antistatic and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding functions of activated carbon/polymer composite materials were confirmed in recent studies, it is expected that activated carbon can be utilized as an ideal reinforcing material for low-cost polymer composite materials. Therefore, in this review, we would like to describe the fabrication, characterization and applicability of AC/polymer composites.