High Density Polyethylene/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite Foams: Electrical Conductivity And Percolation Threshold

Electrically conductive polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites have drawn attention for a wide range of applications because of their light weight, good chemical resistance, ease of processing, and tunable multifunctional properties. High density polyethylene HDPE)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites and their foams were fabricated, and their electrical properties were explored in this research. Parametric studies were conducted to investigate the effects of initial MWCNT loading and processing conditions on the foaming behaviors of HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites. Experimental results revealed that both the initial MWCNT loading and foam morphology were governing factors to tune the electrical conductivity and the percolation threshold of HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites.