Annealing-induced rheological and electric resistance variations in carbon black-filled polymer melts

Abstract

Annealing-induced viscoelastic and electric conduction variations were traced by simultaneous measurement of resistance and dynamic modulus to carbon black (CB)-filled high-density polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene at elevated temperatures. The resistance decay during annealing the melts is closely related to terminal relaxation of polymer chains and the temperature-mediated interfacial tension between CB and the matrix. On the other hand, a time–temperature–concentration superposition principle was disclosed to evolution of dynamic modulus for the filled melts at different temperatures and CB volume fractions. Annealing the filled melts causes a liquid-to-solid-like transition and the differences in kinetic constant for evolution of dynamic modulus among the three systems at the same condition are involved in interfacial tension.