1 Sudan Engineering Society Journal, March 2012, Volume 58; No.1 CARBON NANOTUBES AND THEIR COMPOSITES: A REVIEW G. Goudah 1 , Suliman, S.M.A. 2 , Elfaki, E. A. 3 1 Department of Mechanical engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sudan University of Science and Technology, E-Mail: gshamdan2020@gmail.com 2 Department of Mechanical engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bahrain University 3 Department of Mechanical engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sudan University of Science and Technology Received Oct 2011, accepted after revision Jan 2012 ص ˴ ـلـ ْ ــت˴خْ ـس ˵ م:  ΍ήظϧ ϪϜϠϤΗ ΎϤϟ أإ΍ ΖϧΎ كΓήيΒ كΕ΍ΰيϤϣϭ κئΎμ خϦϣ ΔيήΘϣϮϧΎϨϟ΍ ϥϮبήϜϟ΍ ΕΎϧ΍Ϯ سطΕΎيήθϨϟ΍ϭ ΙϮحΒϟ΍ Ϧϣ ΪيΪعϠϟ ϡΎϬϟ άϫ ϰ فΔيϤϠعϟ΍ ΍ ΍άϬϟ ΔيϜيϧΎϜيϤϟ΍ϭ ΔئيΎيΰيϔϟ΍ κئΎμΨϟ΍ Ϧϣ ΪيΪعϟ΍ ϥϮحثΎΒϟ΍ Ϟ سجΚ حيϝΎجϤϟ΍ كبήϣ Ϧϣ ΪيΪجϟ΍ ϞϜθϟ΍ ΎاضΎ ب΍άϫ ϥϮبήϜϟ΍ έ΍ήحϟ΍ ϞيλϮΘϟ΍ ι΍Ϯ خϰϟ΍ Δ فϱ أ΍ Δيήسحϟ΍ ΓΩΎϤϟ΍ ΎϬϨϣ Ϟ جعϯάϟ΍ ήϣ إϰΘϟ΍ϭ ήيΒعΘϟ΍ ΎϨϟ ίΎ جϥ  Ύλή فϖϠΨΗ ϠئΎϫ  Δ ΪيΪ عΕاΎجϣϰ فήيϮطΘϠϟ Γ ϔϠΘΨϤϟ΍ ϡϮϠعϟ΍ Ϧϣ Δ ΩΎحϟ΍ ϥήϘϟ΍ ϰ فϱ ήθعϟ΍ϭ ي.Ϧ ϗέϮϟ΍ ϩάϫ Δ ΔحϤϟ ήفϮΗ إ΍ϭ Ε΍έϮطΘϟ΍ Ϧ عΔϣΎ عأ΍ Ε΍ίΎجϧ أ΍ϰ فΓή خيϘϠعΘϤϟ΍ ΙΎ بحΔ ΎϨϟ΍ ϥϮبήϜϟ΍ ΕΎϧ΍ϮسطΎ بϮϧ Κ حيϦϣ ΎϬΗΎΒكήϣϭ ΔيήΘϣ يعϨμΘϟ΍ ϕή طΎϬϬج΍ϮΗ ϰΘϟ΍ ΕΎيΪحΘϟ΍ϭ ϔϠΘΨϤϟ΍ ΕΎϘيΒطΘϟ΍ كϟάكϭ Δ Ϧϣ ΎϬϟ أΪيΪ جΔعيΎϨλ ΔΌ بيϖϠ خϞ جΓ ΕΎΒϠطΘϣϭ ϢائΘΗ ήμعϟ΍ . ABSTRACT Carbon nanotubes have been the focus of considerable research. Numerous investigators have since reported remarkable physical and mechanical properties for this new form of carbon. From unique electronic properties and a thermal conductivity higher than diamond to mechanical properties where the stiffness, strength and resilience exceeds any current material, carbon nanotubes offer tremendous opportunities for the development of fundamentally new material systems. In particular, the exceptional mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes combined with their low density, offer scope for the development of nanotubes reinforced composite materials. The potential for nanocomposites reinforced with carbon tubes having extraordinary specific stiffness and strength represent tremendous opportunity for application in the 21st century. This paper provides an overview of recent advances reported in literature in composites research in the context of reinforcement with carbon nanotubes. Current state of research has indicated the potential of these nanocomposites but at the same time, has illustrated the significant challenges in processing and improving properties Keywords: carbon nanotubes, reinforcement, matrix, nanocomposites, processing, polymer, metal, ceramic matrix.