Carbon/polyesterimide thick-film resistive composites – Experimental characterization and theoretical analysis of physicochemical, electrical and stability properties

This paper describes carbon/polyesterimide thick-film resistive composites. Polyesterimide (PEI) resin with high thermal durability served as an insulative matrix whereas medium structure carbon black (MSCB), blend of MSCB and graphite (G), and high structure carbon black (HSCB) have been used as an active phase. Chosen physicochemical investigations, electrical measurements (dependence of sheet resistance, hot temperature coefficient of resistance and 1/f noise on kind and content of conductive filler and curing temperature) and various stability tests have been used for complete description of MSCB/PEI, (MSCB + G)/PEI and HSCB/PEI thick-film resistor series. Electrical properties have been analyzed based on continuum percolation model completed by Balberg concepts connected with excluded volume and assumption of power distribution of distances between conductive grains embedded in polyesterimide.