The electrical conductive effect of nickel-coated graphite/two-component silicone-rubber sealant

Abstract

Nickel-coated graphite particles and two-component silicone-rubber were compounded to form a conductive composite system. The electrical volume resistivity of the composites were examined and compared under constant tensile strains, cyclic heating-cooling, electric field and repeated cyclic tensile strains in order to study the mechanism of electrical conductivity behaviors of the conductive composites under stress, temperature and current. The results showed that a peak value of the electrical resistivity appeared previously and then gradually increasing with increasing tensile strain. The electrical resistivity displayed positive temperature coefficient effect during the temperature increasing and decreasing. Applying 5A direct current to the conductive composites resulted in an increase in the electrical resistance immediately, but no changes were detected under lower currents. Under the repeated cyclic strain, the peak value of the electrical resistivity of each cycle increased with the test cycle. All the electrical resistivity changes were attributed to the conductive networks broken-up and rebuilt in the conductive composites.