Conductive polymer blends with low carbon black loading: High impact polystyrene/thermoplastic elastomer (styrene‐isoprene‐styrene)

Abstract

Abstract Electrical resistivity and morphology of high impact polystyrene (HIPS)/styrene‐isoprene‐styrene copolymer (SIS)/carbon black (CB) blends were studied. Conductive CB particles locale preferentially within the HIPS phase of the HIPS/SIS blends. The blends studied remain conductive as long as HIPS maintains a continuous phase and the effective CB concentration within HIPS surmounts its percolation threshold. Thus, blends containing 2 phr CB depict significant changes in resistivity with the HIPS/SIS composition, transforming from insulative to conductive. SIS/CB mixtures exhibit an unusual behavior, explained by a physical model suggested in this paper and extended to the HIPS/SIS/CB systems.