Prediction of filler/matrix interphase effects on AC and DC electrical properties of carbon reinforced polymer composites

Abstract

This study predicts the effect of the conducting filler/insulating matrix interphase on the electrical properties of two series of percolated systems, differing from the type of carbon black particles mixed in an amine‐cured epoxy matrix, diglycidylic ether of bisphenol F. To take into account the interactions between the conducting filler and the matrix, as well as filler–filler overlapping, we introduce three parameters, characteristic of the interphase zone, such as concentration, conductivity and volume, on the generalized effective medium (GEM) model for DC and AC electrical conductivities. These interphase parameters, characterizing the boundary of the shaded zone between the macromolecular chain and the conducting particles, depend on the filler type and concentration. One output of GEM‐modified model is that it provides a mean to estimate the volume, concentration and intrinsic conductivity of the interphase in a composite by fitting the experimental data over a broad range of frequency. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:346–352, 2019. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers