ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF COMPOSITE NANOFIBERS OF POLYPROPYLENE/CARBON NANOFIBER AND NANOTUBES

摘要

The DC electrical conductivity of composite microfibers consisting of carbon nanofiber and carbon nanotube reinforced polypropylene is examined. Carbon nanofibers with an average diameter of 100 nm can serve as ideal precursor system to carbon nanotubes for the development of polymeric fibers with superior electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. Electrical conductivity of the microfibers was measured over a range in the nanofiber weight fraction of 0.5-10 percent and carbon nanotube fraction of 0.1 to 0.5 percent. The results provide a comparison between the property enhancement levels achieved in the microfiber by the addition of similar weight fractions of carbon nanofiber and carbon nanotube reinforcements in the dilute range.