Thermal annealing induced enhancement of electrical properties of a co-continuous polymer blend filled with carbon nanotubes

In the current study, it is found that the electrical properties of a co-continuous polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend containing with conductive multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can be remarkably improved via the thermal annealing treatment. Utilizing the on-line (rheometer and optical microscope) and off-line (transmission electron microscopy) instruments, the evolution of the morphology and microstructure of PS/PMMA/MWCNTs composites are visualized. It is observed that thermal annealing can induce the coalescence of small phases into the more perfect co-continuous phase structure, which can significantly improve the electrical properties of the composites. Moreover, the re-aggregation of MWCNTs under thermal annealing also helps to improve the electrical properties of the composites. Furthermore, it is worth to note that parts of MWCNTs can be enriched at the interface of a co-continuous PS/PMMA blend to build up the conductive network during the thermal annealing, which further enhances the electrical properties of the composites.