Electric field induced conductive network formation of MWNTs and MWNTs-COOH in polycarbonate composites

Using polycarbonate (PC) as a matrix, and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and acid-treated MWNTs (MWNTs-COOH) as fillers, PC/MWNTs and PC/MWNTs-COOH conductive composites were prepared, respectively. The conductive network formation induced by electric field in both the PC/MWNTs and PC/MWNTs-COOH composites were investigated by the dynamic percolation measurement. It was found that the electrical resistivity–time curves showed a certain self-similarity under various electric fields, i.e., the electrical resistivity decreased sharply as the percolation time (tp) was reached. And the dynamic percolation time was shorten with the increase of the electric field intensity for both MWNTs and MWNTs-COOH filled PC composites. However, the percolation time and the formation activation energy of conductive network under electric field for MWNTs filled composites decreased greatly as compared to those of the MWNTs-COOH filled composites. These results indicated that the interaction between MWNTs and PC molecules played an important role in the conductive network formation under the electric field. Furthermore, the tp values under the electric field for PC/MWNTs and PC/MWNTs-COOH composites were successfully predicted by a modified thermodynamic percolation model. And this dynamic percolation measurement method could be recommended to investigate the zero-shear-rate viscosity at the different temperatures.