Carbon nanotube-filled polymer composites. Numerical simulation of electrical conductivity in three-dimensional entangled fibrous networks

A new modeling approach is presented to simulate direct current electrical conductivity in entangled fibrous networks. Isotropic three-dimensional structures, made up of high aspect ratio non-straight conductive fibers, are generated using a spline calculation; the corresponding volume conductivity is determined by integration using finite element software. The influence of the morphological parameters of fibers – aspect ratio and tortuosity – and of fiber–fiber contact electrical properties on electrical percolation is investigated. The results are then compared to experimental data obtained for nanocomposites composed of carbon nanotubes dispersed in a polymer matrix.