The effect of selective location of carbon nanotubes on electrical properties of thermoplastic vulcanizates

Abstract

Abstract Three types of conductive thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) were prepared by blending polypropylene (PP), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and carboxylic acrylonitrile butadiene ultrafine full‐vulcanized powdered rubber (xNBR‐UFPR). The CNT locations were different in these three types of TPVs, i.e., CNTs were localized in PP matrix, in the xNBR‐UFPR phase, or mainly in the interface. It had been found that TPV with CNTs localized mainly in the interface had the lowest conductive percolation threshold among these three types of TPVs. The volume resistivity of the TPV with 2 phr CNTs was as small as 220 Ω•cm. Moreover, the conductive TPV possessed good mechanical properties. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013