A study of oriented conductive composites with segregated network structure obtained via solid‐state processing of UHMWPE reactor powder and carbon nanofillers

Abstract

Reinforced electrically conductive polymer composites based on ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene reactor powder and filled with various amounts of carbon black, graphite nanopowder, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes were studied. The composites were obtained via compaction of a mechanical mixture of the filler and the polymer reactor powders. This was followed by uniaxial deformation of the material under homogeneous shear conditions. The resulting composites possessed high tensile strength (up to 200 MPa) and electrical conductivity (up to 10 S/cm). Effects of the filler type and content on the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the conductive composites were investigated. Changes in the electrical conductivity of the oriented composite materials during reversible “elongation–compression” cycles along the orientation axis direction were observed. The structure of the reinforced electrically conductive polymer composites was characterized using X‐ray diffraction and electron microscopy. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E146–E155, 2019. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers