Effect of carbon nanotubes shape on the properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes/polyethylene flexible transparent conductive films

Abstract

Transparent conductive material is used in a wide range of applications and is particularly interesting. In the present work, a series of multiwall carbon nanotubes/low density polyethylene nanocomposites with different carbon nanotubes were prepared via solution casting method. The optical transparency, morphology, and resistivity of transparent conductive films have been characterized by using UV–Vis Spectrophotometer, Field emission scanning electron microscope and Multimeter, respectively. Their electrically conductive and optically transparent properties were studied and compared. The result showed that thinner and longer multiwall carbon nanotubes were more suitable for the fabrication of flexible transparent conductive nanocomposites. The sample filled with 1 wt% of T.1 (outside diameter <8 nm, length 10–30 μm) had good transparent conductive properties (volume conductivity of 3.12 × 10−3 S m−1 and optical transmittance of 62.8 % at the light wavelength of 600 nm). The high volume conductivity and optical transparency demonstrated that such kind of nanocomposite films had favorable potential in the applications from electromagnetic interference shielding to transparent electrodes.