Effect of glass fiber on the electrical resistivities of polyoxymethylene/maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites

The effect of glass fiber (GF) on the electrical resistivities of polyoxymethylene (POM)/maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene (MAPE)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites is investigated. The POM/MAPE/MWCNT composites at a MWCNT loading of 0.75% are nonconductive because most of MWCNTs are isolated in the MAPE islands, and their electrical resistivities decrease significantly after the addition of GF because of the formation of MAPE-coated GF structure, which facilitates the formation of conductive paths and was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The formation of MAPE-coated GF structure is attributed to the interaction between GF and MAPE during melt compounding, as contrasted by the uncoated GF using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) instead of MAPE. Nonconductive POM/5-20% MAPE/0.75% MWCNT composites become conductive upon the addition of 20% GF. This preparation method for conductive materials can be generalized to POM/5-20% maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MAPP)/0.75% MWCNT composites. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41794.