Electrical Properties of Composite Materials

CNTs could have either metallic or semiconducting properties, depending on their diameters and chiralities. Due to their exceptional electrical properties, CNTs have become one of the most attractive materials to be used as conductive fillers in polymer composites. Electrical conductivity in insulating polymer composites is well described by means of the percolation threshold. The percolation threshold is the filler concentration at which the electrical conductivity increases sharply by orders of magnitude, indicating that conductive paths span the macroscopic sample [87]. 

Matrix CNT type CNT Processing Composite Composite Composite storage Mechanical Reference 

Epoxy DWCNT fiber 22.00 Resin impregnation 253 (500) 18.8 (1400) Tensile [71] 

For composites with discrete fillers, the DC conductivity obeys a percolation-like power law  

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Monte Carlo simulations. Wescott et also applied DPD approaches to investigate the self-assembly of CNT percolating networks in thin films of block copolymer melts. Similarly, Tozzi et al. used particle-level simulations to investigate the stmctural evolution and electrical conductivity of CNT suspensions in shear flow. These approaches can be extended in future work to study the effects of complex interparticle and matrix-induced interactions, as well as the effects of external fields on the network stmcture and electrical properties of composite materials. The synthesis of chemically heterogeneous or Janus particles further motivate these developing techniques. 

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