RADIATION-STIMULATED ALTERATION OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF POLYETHYLENE NANOCOMPOSITES WITH CARBON NANOTUBES

Investigation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and low density polyethylene nanocomposites with MWCTN morphology were performed using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Crystalline structure and crystallinity degree was studied for initial nanocomposites and after electron irradiation with different doses. Changes of Young modulus, electrical conductivity and its dependence on temperature with irradiation dose suggest that at low doses (0.01; 0.02; 0.03 MGy) there polyene sequences are formed within polymer matrix. At higher doses, including 5.0 MGy, these polyene sequences vanish, while intermolecular crosslinks emerge. Such crosslinks significantly influence the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity of nanocomposites containing conductive clusters of nanotubes. It is especially evident after melting temperature.