Structural and electrical properties of composites of polymer–iron carbide nanoparticles embedded in carbon

The electrical transport properties of composites of polymer and iron carbide nanoparticles embedded in carbon have been studied from 300 to 1.3 K. The composites show percolative type behavior with a low threshold value. The XRD shows amorphous nature of the composite. The temperature dependence of conductivity follows two different Efros–Shklovskii variable range hopping mechanisms (σ=σ0exp⁡[−(TES/T)1/2]) with different pre-exponential factors (ρ0ρ0) and different TESTES values in the range of 300–6 K. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the thermal stability of composites does not depend on filler content to a large extent.