Composites Science and Technology 2018-03-01

Electrically conductive PDMS-grafted CNTs-reinforced silicone elastomer

Junhua Kong, Yuejin Tong, Jiaotong Sun, Yuefan Wei, Warintorn Thitsartarn, Chee Chuan Yeo Jayven, Joseph Kinyanjui Muiruri, Siew Yee Wong, Chaobin He

Index: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2018.02.018

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Abstract

Conductive liquid silicone rubber-based composites were prepared through incorporation of fumed silica (FSiO2) and polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) modified MWCNTs (P-MWCNTs), and their mechanical and electrical properties were investigated. It is shown that the introduction of P-MWCNTs with P-MWCNTs/FSiO2 ratio of 0.25/30 (w/w) increases the cross-linking density and the thermal stability of the composites significantly. The improved mechanical performance, e.g., 60% increase for Young's modulus and 47% increase for tear strength, should be ascribed to the stronger interfacial interaction between P-MWCNTs and PDMS matrix and better dispersion of P-MWCNTs due to existence of PDMS on CNT surface. Moreover, the better dispersion of P-MWCNTs also ensures much higher electrical conductivity than original carboxyl functionalized MWCNTs (COOH-MWCNTs) at relatively low loading, e.g., 10−3 S m−1 versus 10−8 S m−1 at MWCNTs/FSiO2 ratio of 2.5/30, which could be attributed to the formation of CNT network.