Electrically conductive polymer composites
Résumé
With the rise of the electrification of our uses, particularly in the field of transport, more and more
devices must be lightweight, mechanically resistant, integrated into the structure, and have
properties such as specific electrical conductivity ranging from dissipative materials (to evacuate
electrostatic charges) to materials for electromagnetic shielding.
While dispersing modified graphene nanoplatelets into polymer blends it is possible to reach
interesting electrical conductivity [1,2]. Figure 1 shows that a modified GOxH-r-PMMA graphene (a
graphene oxidized then reduced then grafted with PMMA copolymer) dispersed in a co-continuous
blend based on PS and PMMA can reach an electrical conductivity of more than 10-3 S/cm.
Recently, different biochars were characterized to measure their intrinsic electrical conductivities.
A biochar obtained by pyrolysis of chestnut at 700°C and activated by CO2, such as a biochar
obtained from the pyrolysis of birch at 450°C and activated by CO2 exhibit an electrical
conductivity in the same range as that of a KNG 180 graphene (i.e. between 1 and 3 S/cm). Hence
biochar particles seem to be good candidates to be dispersed in polymeric media to reach
dissipative materials or materials for electromagnetic shielding.