A new technique to show good electroconductivity was proposed using carbon nanotube (CNT) localization in cocontinuous immiscible polymer blends comprising ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polycarbonate (PC). When UHMWPE was added to PC/CNT in the molten state in an internal mixer, CNTs started moving to the UHMWPE phase. However, CNTs require a long time to diffuse into the UHMWPE phase owing to a low diffusion constant. Consequently, they remain at the interface between PC and UHMWPE. When the blends have cocontinuous structure, the localized CNTs at the phase boundary act as a conductive path, leading to a good electroconductivity. Although a similar morphology is obtained by adjusting the balance of interfacial tensions among polymers and CNT, it is difficult to find a system showing appropriate interfacial tensions. As the present method is applicable to various polymer blends, it will be an important technique to prepare a conductive nanocomposite.
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