High electrically conductive composites of Polyamide 11 filled with silver nanowires: Nanocomposites processing, mechanical and electrical analysis

Highly conductive composites of silver nanowires and semicrystalline polyamide 11 for different content were prepared. A new method was developed to introduce nanowires: a combination of solvent way and an extrusion process. This technic provides pellets of composites directly suitable for sample molding. The silver nanowires poured in polyamide 11 were obtained by polyol process to reach large volume of nanowires. The dispersion of nanowires was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by a very low percolation threshold around 0.59 vol.%. The level of conductivity above the percolation threshold is about 102 S m− 1. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analyses have shown a stability of the composite physical structure and an optimization of the mechanical properties as a function of nanowires content until 3.6 vol.%. A simultaneous enhancement of the electrical conductivity of polyamide 11 was obtained.