Premium
Electrically conductive polymer composites and blends
Author(s) -
Lee BiingLin
Publication year - 1992
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.760320107
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , electrical conductor , polymer , electrically conductive
Increasing utilization of the electrical properties of polymeric blends and composites has prompted our renewed interest in developing a general working relationship which can explain the electrical properties of polymer composites and blends in terms of processing characteristics, morphology, and compositions. Here, we restrict our attention to the following two‐component systems: (1) two component systems with conductive particulate inclusions (e.g. carbon black) embedded in a continuous polymeric matrix, and (2) two component polymer blend systems with one conductive polymer (e.g., polyether copolymer) dispersed in another continuous polymeric matrix. The following processing aspects related to the electrical property of particulate filled composites are discussed: (1) critical concentration of rigid conductive fillers, ϕ c , and (2) redistribution of conductive fillers upon processing. An equation based on the crowding factor of concentrated suspension rheology and Janzen's particle contacts percolation is proposed to describe the relationship between ϕ c , and the maximum packing fraction of conductive fillers. The relationship is used to explain the influence of particle morphology on conductivity, and the conductivity difference in the high shear and the low shear region of a processed polymer composite part. Furthermore, some qualitative guidelines for blending a low conductivity polyether copolymer to achieve an overall balance of antistatic and mechanical properties of polymer blends are also discussed.