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Conductivity of Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Polystyrene/Carbon Black and Poly(ethyl methacrylate)/Polystyrene/Carbon Black Ternary Composite Films

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Abstract

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polystyrene (PS)/carbon black (CB) and poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA)/PS/CB ternary composite films were obtained using solution casting technique to investigate double percolation effect. In both PMMA/PS/CB and PEMA/PS/CB ternary composite films, the CB particles prefer to locate into PS phase based on the results of calculating wetting coefficient, which is also confirmed by SEM images. The conductivity of the films was investigated, and the percolation threshold (ϕc) of both ternary composite films with different polymer blend ratios was determined by fitting the McLachlan GEM equation. Conductivity of PMMA/PS/CB ternary composite films showed a typical double percolation effect. However, due to the double emulsion structure of PEMA/PS polymer blends, the PEMA/PS/CB ternary composite films (PEMA/PS = 50/50) showed a higher ϕc, even CB only located in PS phase, which conflicts with the double percolation effect. A schematic diagram combined with SEM images was proposed to explain this phenomenon.

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Acknowledgments

Huagen Xu acknowledges the China Scholarship Council for funding a scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Polymer Materials, Friedrieh-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Martensstr. 7, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    Hua-Gen Xu, Mu-Chao Qu & Dirk W. Schubert

  2. College of Materials Science and Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Mold of Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Ya-Min Pan

  3. Bavarian Polymer Institute, Dr. Mack-Strasse 77, 90762, Fürth, Germany

    Dirk W. Schubert

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  1. Hua-Gen Xu
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Correspondence to Hua-Gen Xu.

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Conductivity of Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Polystyrene/Carbon Black and Poly(ethyl methacrylate)/Polystyrene/Carbon Black Ternary Composite Films

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Xu, HG., Qu, MC., Pan, YM. et al. Conductivity of Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Polystyrene/Carbon Black and Poly(ethyl methacrylate)/Polystyrene/Carbon Black Ternary Composite Films. Chin J Polym Sci 38, 288–297 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-020-2349-2

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