(578c) Highly Electrically Conductive Polyolefin Nanocomposites Reinforced with a Low Concentration of Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are commonly used as conductive nanofillers to improve the electric conductivity and mechanical properties of the hosting polymer matrix. However, the conductivity of the polymer nanocomposites depends on the network formation of carbon nanotube in the polymer matrix, and high CNTs content was required to accomplish the conduction network in a polymer matrix. To enhance the conductivity of the composites, certain extra treatments such as chemically functionalized through acid, amine and heat treatment were used to improve the dispersion of CNTs in the polymer matrix. However, these treatments would cause some negative effect on the conductivity of the pristine CNTs by influence the connection. In order to make a more efficient network formation of CNTs in the polymer matrix, ethylene/1-octene copolymers/carbon nanotubes (EOCs/CNTs) and polypropylene/carbon nanotubes (PP/CNTs) nanocomposites were fabricated by coating CNTs on the surface of polymer pellets. After hot pressing, the CNTs between the polymer pellets would connect together and easily form a network structure in the polymer matrix. In this talk, CNTs have successfully served as nanofillers for obtaining highly electrical conductive polymer nanocomposites. The effects of nanofiller loading levels and the processed temperature on the rheological behaviors, crystal structure, electrical conductivity, optical properties and dielectric permittivity were systematically studied for both sample systems. The EOCs/CNTs system processed at 100 °C with 6.8 wt% CNTs exhibit the highest σ of 0.015 S/cm. However, the PP/CNTs sytstem with 2.0 wt % CNTs and prepared at 120 °C exhibit the highest conductivity of 0.16 S/cm.