Structure and Properties of Conducting Composites Based on Polyolefins and Carbon Black
Н. Т. Кахраманов, Kh. V. Allahverdiyeva, F.A. Mustafayeva
Abstract
Abstract The influence of the content of carbon black with the particle size of 18–20 nm and compatibilizers on the specific electrical conductivity of composites based on such polyolefins as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene–hexene copolymer, and random polypropylene copolymer was studied. High-density polyethylene and polypropylene, both functionalized with maleic anhydride, were used as compatibilizers. One of the goals was to study the mechanism of formation of conducting chain structures and clusters in the objects under consideration. The carbon black concentration was varied in the interval 1–30 wt %. Examination of electron-microscopic images showed that carbon particles are distributed mainly in the interspherulite amorphous space to form a chain structure responsible for the electronic or tunneling conductivity. The higher is the degree of crystallinity of the initial polyolefin, the lower is the carbon content at which the maximal specific electrical conductivity of the composites is reached. The influence of the degree of crystallinity of the polymer matrix on the specific electrical conductivity of the composites was studied with blends of high-density polyethylene and ethylene–propylene–diene rubber as an example. The specific electrical conductivity of the composites decreases as the content of ethylene–propylene–diene elastomer in high-density polyethylene filled with carbon black is increased from 10 to 70 wt %.