The influence of the characteristics of polyethylene on thermoelectric properties of their composites with black carbon

Abstract

The work is devoted to the study of the effect of characteristics (melt flow and density) of various grades of polyethylene on the electrical resistance of polyethylene composites with carbon black at normal and elevated temperatures. Such polyethylene composites are characterized by abnormally high values of the positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistance in the melting temperature range of the polyethylene matrix. This causes the effect of power self-regulation of such heaters (selfregulating polymer heaters). It has been established that the content of carbon black, which provides a stable and clear effect of self-regulation of such heaters, is located in a concentration region approaching the region of the second concentration-structural percolation transition, which for all investigated polyethylene composites was about 12 vol% of carbon black. The growth rate of electrical resistance at these carbon-black contents is influenced by crystallinity of the polyethylene matrix.