Structural and Electrical Properties of Graphite Platelet Films Deposited on Low-Density Polyethylene Substrate

Angela Longo,Gianfranco Carotenuto,Francesca Urban,Gianni Barucca,Giuseppina Ambrosone,Antonio Di Bartolomeo,Ubaldo Coscia,Mariano Palomba,Andrea Sorrentino

doi:10.3390/iocn2020-07917

Abstract

Uniform conductive films composed of graphite platelets (GPs) were obtained by spraying a commercial graphite lacquer on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) substrates. According to the scanning electron microscopy investigation and X-ray diffraction analysis, the deposited films are composed of crystalline graphite platelets with an average size of 13.6 nm. The thermoresistive behavior of the GP film on LDPE samples was investigated from 20 to 120 °C. The resistance of the samples increases considerably in the 20–100 °C range and decreases sharply for temperatures above 100 °C. This behavior could be ascribed to the thermal properties of the polymer substrate. Results show that promising materials for thermoresistive applications in flexible electronics can be obtained by combining dielectric polymeric substrates with coatings based on graphite platelets.

Highlights

IntroductionThe unique physicochemical characteristics of graphene, such as its light weight, optical transparency, flexibility, high electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility, make this material of fundamental importance in many applications [1]
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs in Figure 1 show that the coating obtained by spraying the Graphit
Large-area graphite platelets (GPs) films were deposited on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) substrates by a spray coating technology, using a graphite lacquer

Summary

Introduction

The unique physicochemical characteristics of graphene, such as its light weight, optical transparency, flexibility, high electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility, make this material of fundamental importance in many applications [1]. Graphite platelet (GP) materials are low-cost alternatives to graphene, capable of assuring moderately good mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. GPs can be deposited on suitable substrates to form large-area conductive surfaces [4]. A uniform deposition with adequate mechanical resistance is not a simple task. It strongly depends on the chemical and physical properties of the substrate [5,6,7,8,9]. Polymer films can be advantageously selected as substrates for both graphene and graphite layers [10,11,12,13,14]

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Results

Conclusion