A comparative study on the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of ethylene–octene copolymer based composites with carbon fillers

• Soft-matrix conducting polymer composites using carbon fillers were prepared.
• Electrical conductivities, mechanical and thermal properties were measured.
• Emphasis on conductivities along with hardness of composites has been given.
• Improved thermal stability even widens their range of application.

Conducting polymer composites (CPC) were prepared with an ethylene–octene copolymer (EOC) matrix and with either carbon fibers (CFs) or multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as fillers. Their electrical and thermal conductivities, mechanical properties and thermal stabilities were evaluated and compared. CF/EOC composites showed percolation behavior at a lower filler level (5 wt.%) than the MWCNT/EOC composites (10 wt.%) did. Alternating current (AC) conductivity and real part of permittivity (dielectric constant) of these composites were found to be frequency-dependent. Dimensions and electrical conductivities of individual fillers have a great influence on the conductivities of the composites. CF/EOC composites possessed higher conductivity than the MWCNT-composites at all concentrations, due to the higher length and diameter of the CF filler. Both electrical and thermal conductivities were observed to increase with increasing filler level. Tensile moduli and thermal stabilities of both (CF/EOC and MWCNT/EOC) composites increase with rising filler content. Improvements in conductivities and mechanical properties were achieved without any significant increase in the hardness of the composites; therefore, they can be potentially used in pressure/strain sensors. Thermoelectric behavior of the composites was also studied. Accordingly, CF and MWCNT fillers are versatile and playing also other roles in their composites than just being conducting fillers.

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