A review and analysis of electrical percolation in carbon nanotube polymer composites

Abstract

We review experimental and theoretical work on electrical percolation of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in polymer composites. We give a comprehensive survey of published data together with an attempt of systematization. Parameters like CNT type, synthesis method, treatment and dimensionality as well as polymer type and dispersion method are evaluated with respect to their impact on percolation threshold, scaling law exponent and maximum conductivity of the composite. Validity as well as limitations of commonly used statistical percolation theories are discussed, in particular with respect to the recently reported existence of a lower kinetic (allowing for re-aggregation) and a higher statistical percolation threshold.

Effect of Percolation on the Capacitance of Supercapacitor Electrodes Prepared from Composites of Manganese Dioxide Nanoplatelets and Carbon Nanotubes

“…77 Fitting our data gives a very low electrical percolation threshold of c,e=0.16 vol%, σ0 of 1.410 6 S/m and a percolation exponent of 1.82. We note that the percolation threshold for composites with 1D fillers is thought to scale with the diameter to length ratio of the filler particles.…”

Carbon nanotubes for organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells

“…Disordered CNT-polymer composites reach electrical conductivities as high as 100 S×cm -1 at 10 wt % loading [78]. SOCl 2 were found to possess twice larger electrical conductivity with sheet resistance as low as 140÷170 Ω/cm 2 with an optical transmittance above 80% at 550 nm.…”

An efficient method for the carboxylation of few-wall carbon nanotubes with little damage to their sidewalls

“…Due to their robustness and high conductivity (thermal and electrical), carbon nanotubes (CNT) could be used in the fabrication of novel composites that could lead to various types of devices including sensors [4,5]. Despite these outstanding properties of CNT, it is important to emphasize the importance of surface functionalization (e.g.…”

“…This tube clustering (or bundling) is probably the main difficulty during composite preparation. The usual way to disentangle these aggregates is by modifying the crystallinity of the sidewalls, which results in weaker van der Waals interactions among tubes, using different processes that include [4]: high power ultrasonic treatments, ball milling, three roll milling, extrusion, chemical treatments, etc. [7].…”