Facile green path to interconnected nano-graphite networks to overtake graphene as conductive fillers

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials are effective conductive fillers for permanent antistatic composites due to their long-term stability in electrical conductivity under ambient temperature and humidity. Where graphene or graphene-like materials have been demonstrated to be the most promising conductive fillers. However, the preparation of graphene and further dispersion into polymer matrices to obtain interconnected conductive networks is still a big challenge for conductive composites. A facile green path (all solid states), microsphere rolling transfer method, has been adopted to introduce nano-graphite conductive fillers for polyethylene. The nano-graphites were well dispersed into polyethylene matrices to give interconnected networks with low loading. The conductivity reinforcements of nano-graphite fillers even overtake those of complicated graphene fillers. The percolation threshold of the conductive composites with nano-graphite fillers for polyethylene has been demonstrated to be as low as 0.85 wt%. The electrical conductivity of the conductive composites was measured to increase by 13 orders of magnitude with 2.05 wt% nano-graphite fillers (0.02 S/m), much higher than traditional solid mixing methods and approaching to the best effects from complicated solution mixing of graphene fillers. The nano-graphite conductive networks are easily adjusted and the method is feasible to almost all conventional solid resins and industrial production.