pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S08 - Nanocarbon Based Composites, with CNPComp2017
Poster Presentation
 
 

Electrical conductivity of PVDF composites melt mixed with MWCNTs having different morphologies

Kunz Karina (1)*, Krause Beate (1), Kretzschmar Bernd (1), Pötschke Petra (1)

(1) Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschungschung Dresden e.V. - Saxony - Germany

The study investigates the electrical conductivity of melt mixed PVDF/MWCNT composites. The experiments compare sheets produced by extrusion using a flat die with compression molded plates. Such samples differ significantly in nanotube orientation. Whereas compression molded plates are expected to be nonoriented, during the film extrusion strong flow-induced orientation of the MWCNTs occurs, which can cause differences in electrical volume conductivity depending on the measurement direction (in-plane x- and y-direction, through-plane). The purpose of the investigation is to show the relationship between the morphology of different MWCNTs and the electrical properties of plates and films of composites (0.1-7.5 wt. % loading). Among long and short MWCNTs two types namely branched and linear MWCNTs were chosen. First experiments for melt mixed composites prepared using a small scale conical twin- screw compounder (DSM Xplore) showed much lower electrical percolation threshold and much higher plateau conductivity for long branched MWCNTs (CNS flakes from ANS (USA), 0.1 wt.%, 1.9 S/cm @3wt.% respectively) compared to short linear MWCNTs (Nanocyl NC3150 (Belgium), 0.25 wt.%, 0.12 S/cm @3wt.% respectively), which correlates very well with the different aspect ratio of the CNTs. Furthermore, no differences in electrical volume conductivity could be observed between results obtained for compression molded plates of PVDF/CNS composites produced by laboratory twin-screw extruder (Berstorff ZE 25) and microcompounder. For PVDF/2 wt. % CNS composites only low differences in in-plane electrical volume conductivity were measured between extruded films (100 µm thickness: 0.2 and 0.7 S/cm (x and y-direction, respectively); 180 µm thickness: 0.2 and 0.5 S/cm) and pressed plates (240 µm thickness, 0.9 S/cm). It is assumed that the conducting network formed of long branched CNTs is less sensitive to flow-induced orientation during the film extrusion compared to nonbranched tubes.