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Abstract
The effect of carbon nanotubes, graphene-like platelets, and another carbonaceous fillers of natural origin on the electrical conductivity of polymeric materials was studied. With the aim of keeping the filler content and the material cost as low as possible, the effect of laser surface treatments on the conductivity of polymer composites with filler load below the percolation threshold was also investigated. These treatments allowed processing in situ conductive tracks on the surface of insulating polymer-based materials. The importance of the kinds of fillers and matrices, and of the laser process parameters was studied. Carbon nanotubes were also used to obtain piezoresistive composites. The electrical response of these materials to a mechanical load was investigated in view of their exploitation for the production of pressure sensors and switches based on the piezoresistive effect. It was found that the piezoresistive behavior of composites with very low filler concentration can be improved with proper laser treatments.
Highlights
Several commercial thermoplastic polymers were used as composite matrices: high-density polyethylene (HDPE; Lupolen 4261 A IM, LyondellBasell, Houston, TX, USA), polypropylene– ethylene copolymer (PP; Hostacom CR 1171 G1, LyondellBasell), polycarbonate and acrylonitrile–butadiene– styrene blend (PC-ABS; Babyblend T65XF, Bayer Material Science-Covestro, Leverkusen, Germany), acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS; Cycolac, Sabic, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), and ethylene– propylene–diene monomer (EPDM; 719.A65 Forflex, SO.F.TER, Lebanon, TN, USA)
These matrices were blended with carbonaceous micro and nanofillers: multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs; NC7000, Nanocyl, Sambreville, Belgium), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs 25; AB304024 25 μm wide and 6–8 nm thick, ABCR Gute Chemie; graphene-like nanoplatelets (GNPs) grade 4, 1–2 μm wide and less than 4 nm thick, Cheaptube Inc., Cambridgeport, VT, USA), graphite flakes with a median size of 7 to 10 μm (Alfa Aesar, Ward Hill, MA, USA), and biochar OSR700 (UK Biochar Research Center, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Laser treatment of the surface of insulating composites can be exploited for locally changing their composition with the aim of increasing the carbon filler concentration until the percolation threshold for electrical conductivity is achieved
Summary
Nanocomposites show noticeable structural and functional properties that can be exploited for a broad range of applications in every field The potential of these materials as low-weight structural materials and functional materials for optical devices, electromagnetic shields, electric components, and medical devices (body-attachable adhesives for measuring biosignals) attracted increasing interest [1,2,3,4,5]. Carbon nanofillers can be used for greatly enhancing the electrical conductivity of both thermoplastic and thermoset resins and improving their mechanical behavior at the same time. For these reasons, the potential of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene-like nanoplatelets (GNPs) for processing conductive polymer-based composites was investigated [1,2,3,4]. This threshold for electrical conductivity is observed when the concentration of carbon filler is high enough to allow the formation, inside the polymer matrix, of a continuous network of filler particles, which causes a sudden jump in electrical conductivity
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