Electrical properties and morphology of highly conductive composites based on polypropylene and hybrid fillers

Abstract

Electrically conductive polypropylene/hybrid filler (PP/GO–MWNTs) and PP/MWNTs composite have been prepared via melt blending PP with the hybrid filler (multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and graphite oxide (GO)) and the single filler (MWNTs), respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to research the interior morphology of the GO–MWNTs hybrid filler, and the dispersion of the hybrid filler in the PP matrix is also observed by SEM. The results show that a clear reduction in electrical resistivity and percolation threshold of PP/GO–MWNTs composite can be ascribed to the corporation of GO. The electrical properties of PP composites were improved owing to the effective conductive networks formed by hybrid filler.