Effect of SiC Particles on the Electrical Conductivity of Epoxy Composites

In this paper, the behavior of the electrical conductivity of epoxy/silicon carbide (SiC) composites as a function of weight fraction and particle size of SiC at room temperature has been investigated. Composite samples were prepared by a mixture composed of the same amount of hardener and resin (5 mg) with different amounts (ranging from 5 mg to 7 mg) of silicon carbide powder with different grain sizes (400 and 800 grit). The conduction current was measured under different applied voltages from 1 to 10 kV (corresponding to applied electrical fields from 0.04 kV/mm to 0.4 kV/mm), and the composites microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that the electrical conductivity of epoxy/SiC composites was found to increase when the weight fraction of SiC was increased and also to increase non-linearly as a function of the electrical field.