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Silicone rubber/graphite nanosheet electrically conducting nanocomposite with a low percolation threshold
Author(s) -
Chen Ling,
Lu Liang,
Wu Dajun,
Chen Guohua
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.20323
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , percolation threshold , composite material , silicone rubber , graphite , nanosheet , piezoresistive effect , composite number , percolation (cognitive psychology) , elastic modulus , modulus , electrical resistivity and conductivity , nanotechnology , engineering , neuroscience , electrical engineering , biology
A novel electrically conductive nanocomposite was successfully fabricated by dispersing homogeneously conductive graphite nanosheets (GN) in an insulating silicone rubber (SR) matrix. GN were prepared by powdering expanded graphite with sonication in aqueous alcoholic solution. The particular geometry of GN 30–80 nm in thickness with high aspect ratio contributes to the advantage of forming the conducting network, so that the percolation threshold of SR/GN nanocomposite is about 0.009, much lower than that of composites with conventional graphite. The SR/GN nanocomposite presents a remarkable piezoresistive behavior under much low pressure, related to the low elastic modulus of the composite. The elastic modulus of the nanocomposite with various GN content and at the different speed of compression was discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 28:493–498, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers