Enhanced conductivity in conducting polymer blends induced by aluminum borate whiskers

Abstract

The influence of a filler on melt-mixed conducting polymer blends of poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) has been examined with respect to their morphology, rheology, conductivity and acid-base properties. The matrix polymers used were low density polyethylene (LDPE), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and the filler was non-conducting aluminum borate whiskers. These blends show two-phase behavior when examined by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the adhesion at the polymer-filler interface in combination with the viscosity ratios between the polymers exerts a considerable influence on the morphology and hence on the conductivity. For the PE/POT blends, addition of whiskers changed the morphology and increased the conductivity by several orders of magnitude. The conductivity of blends with PVC was almost unchanged while the conductivity of PMMA blends slightly decreased upon addition of whiskers. The interactions between whiskers and the polymers used decreased in the order: PMMA > POT > PVC > PE. This is in accordance with the Lewis acid-base properties determined by inverse gas chromatography.

Chromatographic estimation of filler surface energies and correlation with photodegradation of kaolin filled polyethylene

“…Some of the earliest reports of the use of IGC involved the measurement of crystallinity in polyethylene. [8][9][10] More recently it has been used to investgate the modification of fillers used in polymer blends involving polyethylene 11,12 as well as the solution thermodynamic 13 and surface 14 properties of the polymer.…”

Bulk to interphase transition in polyamide 6 compounds with high filler content

“…It is reasonable to assume that these this branch of composite science. Among these, variables also affect the detailed morphology of Ljungqvist and co-workers 4 have reported on imthe materials' interfaces and interphases. Our current concern is with composites using semicrystalline polymer matrixes, in the present reinforcing agents (in this work aluminum borate a blend.…”

A Self-Assembled Electric Conductive Network in Short Carbon Fiber Filled Poly(methyl methacrylate) Composites with Selective Adsorption of Polyethylene

“…Usually, a composite filled with a fiber or flake has a lower percolation threshold than one filled with spherical conductive particle . Fillers with high aspect ratio may also increase the tendency to form the co-continuous phases in polymer blend matrixes . A detailed study on phase continuity in short carbon fiber filled composites let us notice that the percolation threshold could be reduced not only by the double-percolation effect but also by a selective adsorption of polymer at the ends of fibers where the filler-rich phase is no longer continuous.…”