Microstructure of carbon nanotubes/PET conductive composites fibers and their properties

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) resin has been compounded with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a twin-screw extruder. The composites of 4 wt% CNTs in PET had a volume electrical resistance of 10(3) Omega Cm, which was 12 orders lower than pure PET. The volume electrical conductivity of CNTs/PET composites with different CNTs containing followed a percolation scaling law of the form sigma = k(rho-rho(c))(t) well. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph showed that CNTs had been well dispersed in PET matrix. Optical microscopy micrograph showed that discontinuity of conductive phase existed in some segments of composite fiber. Rheological behavior of CNTs/PET composites showed that the viscosity of CNTs/PET composites containing high nanotube loadings exhibited a large decrease with increasing shear frequency. Crystallization behavior of CNTs/PET composites was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the nucleating effect of CNTs in the cooling crystallization process of PET was confirmed. Composite fiber was prepared using the conductive CNTs/PET composites and pure PET resin by composite spinning process. Furthermore, cloth was woven by the composite fiber and common terylene with the ratio 1:3. The cloth had excellent anti-static electricity property and its charge surface density was only 0.25 mu C/m(2). (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.