Enhancing electrical conductivity of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites by graphene nanoplatelets

Abstract

The need of high performance integrated circuits and high power density communication devices drives the development of materials enhancing the conductive performances by carbon nanoparticles. Among nanocomposites, the ternary hybrid carbon nanotubes/graphene nanoplatelets/polymer composites represent a debatable route to enhance the transport performances. In this study hybrid ternary nanocomposites were manufactured by direct mixing of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) at a fixed filler content (0.3 wt.%), but different relative combination, within an epoxy system. MWNT/epoxy nanocomposites were manufactured for comparison. The quality of dispersion was evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrical properties of hybrid composites were measured in the temperature range from 30 up to 300 K. The synergic combination of 1D/2D particles did not interfere with the percolative behaviour of MWCNTs but improved the overall electrical performances. The addition of a small amount of GNPs (0.05 wt.%) led to a strong increment of the sample conductivity over all the temperature range, compared to that of mono filler systems.