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A review on electrically conductive polypropylene and polyethylene
Author(s) -
Gulrez Syed K.H.,
Ali Mohsin M.E.,
Shaikh Hamid,
Anis Arfat,
Pulose Anesh Manjaly,
Yadav Mukesh K.,
Qua Eng Hau P.,
AlZahrani S.M.
Publication year - 2014
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.22734
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , polypropylene , electrical conductor , electromagnetic shielding , polyethylene , percolation threshold , thermoplastic , filler (materials) , electronics , electrical resistivity and conductivity , electrical engineering , engineering
Conductive plastics are new generation functional materials with potential application in electronics, space and aviation industries. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) being most common, widely available and cheapest thermoplastic, if made conductive, can be revolutionary in the field of engineering thermoplastics. The article deals with the fabrication of electrically conductive PP and PE for electromagnetic interference/radio frequency (EMI/RF) shielding applications and protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD). It reviews different fillers used by researchers to fabricate conductive PP and PE, several factors that affect the electrical conductivity of thermoplastic composites and various processing methods that can be adopted to prepare such composites. It exhaustively covers the preparation of such conductive composites, the processing methods involved therein, and the electrical properties of the end material. Emphasis has been given to comprehend the percolation threshold and means to reduce the latter in order to achieve high electrical conductivity in PP‐ and PE‐based composites at relatively low filler loading. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:900–914, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers