Investigating the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Polystyrene (PS)/Untreated SWCNT Nanocomposite Films

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the electrical and mechanical properties of polystyrene (PS)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites prepared using the doctor blade technique. The nanocomposite films of PS/CNT were prepared by casting a composite solution of PS/CNT in tetrahydrofuran (THF) on a glass substrate using a doctor blade and drying in an oven. The nanocomposite films were then characterized using a tensile test and the four-point probe method to evaluate their mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. The experimental results were used to analyze the unpredicted behavior of the nanocomposite films. The experimental results showed that the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite films became almost insensitive or unmeasurable with increasing CNT content for very dilute PS–THF solutions. In contrast, at higher PS concentrations, film conductivity increased to a given CNT threshold and then decreased. Based on PS–THF viscosity–concentration data, a discussion is elaborated that partially justifies the experimental results.