An analytical model of effective electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube composites

Experiments on electrical properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) composites have shown that addition of CNTs may greatly enhance the electrical conductivity of the matrix. It has been a key but unresolved issue for years how to develop an analytical model of effective electrical conductivity of CNT composites that takes account of not only the CNT concentration and percolation, but also CNT conductivity anisotropy, aspect ratio, and nonstraightness. Such a model is established in this letter. The model predictions agree well with the measured data available in literatures and are also extended to account the effect of the orientation distribution of CNTs. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.