Endowing Acceptable Mechanical Properties of Segregated Conductive Polymer Composites with Enhanced Filler-Matrix Interfacial Interactions by Incorporating High Specific Surface Area Nanosized Carbon Black.

Huibin Cheng,Changlin Cao,Baoquan Huang,Liren Xiao,Qinghua Chen,Qingrong Qian,Xiaoli Sun

doi:10.3390/nano11082074

Abstract

Tuning the high properties of segregated conductive polymer materials (CPCs) by incorporating nanoscale carbon fillers has drawn increasing attention in the industry and academy fields, although weak interfacial interaction of matrix-filler is a daunting challenge for high-loading CPCs. Herein, we present a facile and efficient strategy for preparing the segregated conducting ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based composites with acceptable mechanical properties. The interfacial interactions, mechanical properties, electrical properties and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of the UHMWPE/conducting carbon black (CCB) composites were investigated. The morphological and Raman mapping results showed that UHMWPE/high specific surface area CCB (h-CCB) composites demonstrate an obviously interfacial transition layer and strongly interfacial adhesion, as compared to UHMWPE/low specific surface area CCB (l-CCB) composites. Consequently, the high-loading UHMWPE/h-CCB composite (beyond 10 wt% CCB dosage) exhibits higher strength and elongation at break than the UHMWPE/l-CCB composite. Moreover, due to the formation of a densely stacked h-CCB network under the enhanced filler-matrix interfacial interactions, UHMWPE/h-CCB composite possesses a higher EMI SE than those of UHMWPE/l-CCB composites. The electrical conductivity and EMI SE value of the UHMWPE/h-CCB composite increase sharply with the increasing content of h-CCB. The EMI SE of UHMWPE/h-CCB composite with 10 wt% h-CCB is 22.3 dB at X-band, as four times that of the UHMWPE/l-CCB composite with same l-CCB dosage (5.6 dB). This work will help to manufacture a low-cost and high-performance EMI shielding material for modern electronic systems.

Highlights

Particles enable the combined forces of numerous Van der Waals forces to become much stronger, which is beneficial for forming the strong interface interactions of mechanical interlocking between h-conducting carbon black (CCB) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
To obtain a better understanding the impact of the interfacial interactions of the addition of various CCB into UHMWPE matrix on the thermal stabilities of the composites, we further evaluate the incorporation of high specific surface area CCB (h-CCB) and low specific surface area CCB (l-CCB) content on the thermal stabilities of the composites via using Thermal gravimetric (TGA) analysis, separately
UHMWPE/h-CCB exhibits an evident improvement of electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) when the dosage of h-CCB exceeds its electrical percolation threshold, the UHMWPE/h-CCB composite exhibits a satisfactory EMI SE value of 22.3 dB

Summary

Introduction

With the rapid advancement in electronic information technology, electronic equipment and communication base stations have become an indispensable part of people’s daily lives. This originated from man-made electronic devices accompanied by high-energy electromagnetic wave radiation pollution and electromagnetic interference have become critical problems that need to be addressed [1,2]. Current electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials mainly include metal and their alloy materials, but these materials have many shortcomings, such as high density, high cost, low corrosions and a complicated manufacturing process [3].

Methods

Results

Conclusion