The Electrical Properties of Hybrid Composites Based on Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes with Graphite Nanoplatelets

In the present work, we have investigated the concentration dependences of electrical conductivity of monopolymer composites with graphite nanoplatelets or multiwall carbon nanotubes and hybrid composites with both multiwall carbon nanotubes and graphite nanoplatelets. The latter filler was added to given systems in content of 0.24 vol%. The content of multiwall carbon nanotubes is varied from 0.03 to 4 vol%. Before incorporation into the epoxy resin, the graphite nanoplatelets were subjected to ultraviolet ozone treatment for 20 min. It was found that the addition of nanocarbon to the low-viscosity suspension (polymer, acetone, hardener) results in formation of two percolation transitions. The percolation transition of the composites based on carbon nanotubes is the lowest (0.13 vol%). It was determined that the combination of two electroconductive fillers in the low-viscosity polymer results in a synergistic effect above the percolation threshold, which is revealed in increase of the conductivity up to 20 times. The calculation of the number of conductive chains in the composite and contact electric resistance in the framework of the model of effective electrical resistivity allowed us to explain the nature of synergistic effect. Reduction of the electric contact resistance in hybrid composites may be related to a thinner polymer layer between the filler particles and the growing number of the particles which take part in the electroconductive circuit.