Electrical conductivity and polarization processes in nanocomposites based on isotactic polypropylene and modified synthetic clay

The direct-current and alternating-current electrical behavior of nanocomposites, formed by isotactic polypropylene partially modified with maleic anhydride and filled with different amounts of modified synthetic clay, has been studied; moreover, the conduction mechanisms and the relaxation processes that take place in the materials have been investigated. The nanocomposites containing small clay contents exhibit direct-current insulating properties comparable to or even higher than those observed in the polymeric matrix. However, as the synthetic clay content increases, the ionic contribution to conductivity becomes considerable. The nanocomposites also show a slightly higher permittivity and loss factor than the host material because of the appearance of a thermally activated relaxation process in the frequency range of 10(-2) to 10(2) Hz at the investigated temperatures. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.