ABSTRACTA very simple model for the kinetics of oxidation of carbon Nanotubes (NTs) is proposed which is able to reproduce the main features of their measured kinetic thermal oxidation profiles. Based on this model the resistance to oxidation of NTs is found to decrease with increasing defect density and amorphous phases, i.e. sp³ bonding component. This finding supports the validity of assumptions previously made to explain the correlation between results of Raman Spectroscopy (RS) and Kinetic Thermal Analysis (KTA) on NTs via a three-stage model, inspired to that proposed by Ferrari and Robertson for other nanocarbons.