Electrical conductivity of waterborne polyurethane/graphene composites prepared by solution mixing

Abstract

Hydrothermal method was used to convert graphene oxide to graphene in water. Polyvinylpyrrolidone was added to improve dispersion of graphene and form a stable graphene solution with a high concentration. This stable graphene solution was used to mix with waterborne polyurethane (WPU) to prepare WPU/graphene composites. The electrical conductivity of WPU was greatly improved with incorporation of graphene, and when the filling amount of graphene is 4.0 wt%, the conductivity of the composite reaches 8.30 × 10−4 S cm−1, which is a little higher than that of the composite prepared by in situ method.