Electrical and mechanical behaviors of carbon nanotube-filled polymer blends

Four carbon nanotube (CNT)-filled polymer blends, i.e., CNT-filled polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/polyvinylidene fluoride, PET/nylon 6,6, PET/polypropylene, and PET/high-density polyethylene blends, have been injection-molded and characterized in terms of their microstructures, electrical conductivities ties, and mechanical properties. The distribution of CNTs in the polymer blends has been examined based on their wetting coefficients and minimization of the interfacial energy. The electrical conductivity and mechanical properties have been related to the cocontinuous polymer blends, the conductive path formed by CNTs, the CNT distribution, and the intrinsic properties of the constituent polymers. It is found that to obtain a CNT-filled polymer composite with both high electrical conductivity and good mechanical properties, it is preferred that most CNTs distribute in one polymer phase, while the other polymer phase(s) remain neat. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.