ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY PROPERTIES OF MWCNT BUCKYPAPER AND MWCNT BUCKYPAPER/EPOXY COMPOSITES: EFFECT OF LOADING AND PRESSURE

Wan Dalina WAD, Mariatti M* and Tan SH

Abstract

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY PROPERTIES OF MWCNT BUCKYPAPER AND MWCNT BUCKYPAPER/EPOXY COMPOSITES: EFFECT OF LOADING AND PRESSURE Wan DalinaWAD1, Mariatti M1, 2,* and Tan SH3

1 School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia,

14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

2 Cluster for Polymer Composites, Science and Engineering Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

3 School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Since the discoveries of the carbon nanotubes, numerous methods have been employed to take advantage of the superb mechanical and electrical properties of the carbon nanotubes in the fabrication of composites. Buckypaper has been found to be one of the suitable methods to be utilized in the production of nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical and electrical performance. In this study, buckypapers with different loading has been fabricated using filtration technique under two different pressures. Increasing loading of the carbon nanotubes caused significant reduction in the electrical conductivity of the buckypaper. It is found that pressure did not affect the electrical conductivity as much as the loading. Agglomerations are found to be the main reason of the diminution in the electrical conductivity properties of MWCNT buckypaper and MWCNT buckypaper/epoxy composites.

Keywords: MWCNT, buckypaper, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity