Simulation of Percolation Threshold, Tunneling Distance, and Conductivity for Carbon Nanotube (CNT)-Reinforced Nanocomposites Assuming Effective CNT Concentration.

Yasser Zare,Kyong Yop Rhee

doi:10.3390/polym12010114

Abstract

This article suggests simple and new equations for the percolation threshold of nanoparticles, the tunneling distance between nanoparticles, and the tunneling conductivity of polymer carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites (PCNT), assuming an effective filler concentration. The developed equations correlate the conductivity, tunneling distance, and percolation threshold to CNT waviness, interphase thickness, CNT dimensions, and CNT concentration. The developed model for conductivity is applied for some samples and the predictions are evaluated by experimental measurements. In addition, the impacts of various parameters on the mentioned terms are discussed to confirm the developed equations. Comparisons between the calculations and the experimental results demonstrate the validity of the developed model for tunneling conductivity. High levels of CNT concentration, CNT length, and interphase thickness, as well as the straightness and thinness of CNTs increase the nanocomposite conductivity. The developed formulations can substitute for the conventional equations for determining the conductivity and percolation threshold in CNT-reinforced nanocomposites.

Highlights

Polymer carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites (PCNT) are very attractive from research and application points of view, because they can elucidate important properties when the concentration of nanoparticles reaches the percolation threshold, which is the minimum CNT content that produces the conductive networks in nanocomposites [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]
We applied the suggested equations to calculate the conductivity at different levels of the material and interphase parameters
We compared the calculations of electrical conductivity to the experimental measurements in some samples to demonstrate the predictability of the developed model

Summary

Introduction

Polymer carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites (PCNT) are very attractive from research and application points of view, because they can elucidate important properties when the concentration of nanoparticles reaches the percolation threshold, which is the minimum CNT content that produces the conductive networks in nanocomposites [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]. Long and thin CNTs normally introduce a low percolation threshold, producing a conductive nanocomposite by incorporation of very low CNT content [16]. Many parameters affect the conductivity of polymer nanocomposites. The interphase zones can form the connected structures in polymer

Methods

Results

Conclusion