Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composites with unmodified and modified (COOH-MWCNTs) CNTs were prepared using the melt blending method. The composites with 0, 1, and 1.5 phr MWCNTs (with and without modification) were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and better dispersion was observed for the acid-modified MWCNTs. In addition, a network structure was observed for the modified MWCNTs added system. The mechanical and electrical properties of the composite with different parts per hundred of nanotubes were increased, but the effect was pronounced with modified MWCNTs due to the better interaction of modified MWCNTs with the polymer matrices. The thermal stability of the composites was also strongly improved with MWCNTs loading. Blending of liquid crystalline polymer (LCP, Vectra A950) with ABS/MWCNTs resulted in further improvement in electrical and thermal properties. This improvement can be ascribed to the self-reinforcing tendency of LCPs (due to their rigid rod-like molecular structure), which act as a load-bearing agent in the blend matrix. The possible interaction between CN group of ABS and ester group of LCP with the COOH group of modified MWCNTs enhanced the interfacial adhesion between ABS and LCP. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013