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Effect of cooling rate on the surface resistivity of polymer/multi‐walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Lim GeonOh,
Min KyoungTae,
Kim GueHyun
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.21537
Subject(s) - materials science , carbon nanotube , nanocomposite , electrical resistivity and conductivity , composite material , polystyrene , polymer , percolation threshold , vinyl acetate , polymer nanocomposite , copolymer , electrical engineering , engineering
In this study, ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and polystyrene (PS) were melt‐mixed with multi‐walled carbon nanotube (CNT) (MWCNT), respectively. The effect of mixing time, rotor speed, and cooling rate on surface resistivity was investigated. EVA/MWCNT and PS/MWCNT nanocomposites with percolation threshold <1 wt% of MWCNT were prepared using conventional melt‐compounding method. When fast cooling was applied for these nanocomposites, a surface resistivity of 10 6 Ω/square was obtained at around 7 wt% of MWCNT for EVA and 10 5 Ω/square at around 3.5 wt% of MWCNT for PS. However, when slow cooling was applied, a surface resistivity of 10 6 Ω/square was obtained at 0.75 wt% of MWCNT for EVA and 10 5 Ω/square at around 0.5 wt% of MWCNT for PS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which recognizes the importance of cooling rate on the surface resistivity of polymer/MWCNT nanocomposites. This finding may be potential to the commercialization of the CNT‐based polymer nanocomposites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers