Patent ID: 8460782

Claim:
An array of aligned and dispersed carbon nanotubes, the array comprising: an elongate drawn body including a plurality of channels extending therethrough from a first end to a second end of the body, the channels having a number density of at least about 100,000 channels/mm 2 over a transverse cross-section of the drawn body; a plurality of carbon nanotubes disposed in each of the channels, the carbon nanotubes being sufficiently dispersed and aligned along a length of the channels for the array to comprise an average resistivity per channel of about 9700 Ωm or less, and further comprising an encapsulant material disposed adjacent to the carbon nanotubes in the channels, the encapsulant material having been employed to minimize oxidation of the carbon nanotubes during drawing of the body, wherein the encapsulant material is selected from the group consisting of: sodium silicate, polyimide, poly(acetylene), poly(pyrrole), poly(thiophene), polyaniline, polythiophene, polyp-phenylene sulfide), poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), sodium dodecyl sulfate, a metal-organic material, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, and tantalum.