Structural foams have a variety of applications, such as cushioning, packaging, and construction. Compressive strength and compressibility are important factors to determine the performance and application of foams. However, since these factors are of opposing nature there is a need for structural foam with high compressive strength, compressibility, and resilience. This invention is comprised of on open-cell carbon nanotube which exhibits super-compressible foamlike behavior. They have higher compressive strength, recovery rate, sag factor, and breathability.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes have been produced by several different methods, including chemical vapor deposition and laser ablation. These nanotubes are either grown as a layer of aligned nanotubes or as intertwined, randomly oriented bundles of nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes have many potential applications due to their mechanical, electrical, and eletronic properties. However, the difficulty in asembling the nanotubes into desired complex architectures and patterns hinder some applications. This invention is directed to a carbon nanotube foam.