The effect of processing parameters on the bond strength and electrical conductivity of multi-wall carbon nanotube/low-density polyethylene composite

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to study the influence of processing parameters, such as melt temperature and mold temperature, on the adhesion of low density polyethylene (LDPE) to 2.5 wt/% multi-wall carbon nanotube-filled polyethylene (LDPE/MWCNT). The adhesion was obtained using two-component injection-molding method and measured using tensile experiments. The electrical conductivity of the two-component injection-molded specimens was also measured through DC voltage and compared to the volume resistivity of the LDPE and LDPE/MWCNT composite. It was found that the bond strength increases with increasing melt and mold temperatures. However, increasing the melt and mold temperatures over a certain limit can decrease the bond strength. The range of the electrical conductivity of the LDPE-LDPE/MWCNT two-component injection-molded samples was in the range of dissipative materials.

Keywords:

• adhesion
• multi-wall carbon nanotube
• polyethylene
• overmolding
• mechanical properties
• electrical conductivity

Acknowledgment

This research was carried out under project number 61445 in the framework of the POSDRU Programme – SOP HRD-EFICIENT.