The Electrical-Thermal Switching in Carbon Black-Polymer Composites as a Local Effect

摘要

Following the lack of microscopic information about the intriguing well-knownelectrical-thermal switching mechanism in Carbon Black-Polymer composites, weapplied atomic force microscopy in order to reveal the local nature of theprocess and correlated it with the characteristics of the widely usedcommercial switches. We conclude that the switching events take place incritical interparticle tunneling junctions that carry most of the current. Themacroscopic switched state is then a result of a dynamic-stationary state offast switching and slow reconnection of the corresponding junctions.