Electrical conducting behavior of hybrid nanocomposites containing carbon nanotubes and carbon black

Nanocomposites reinforced with hybrid fillers of carbon nanotube (CNT) and carbon black (CB) were developed, aiming at enhancing the electrical conductivity of the composites with balanced mechanical properties while lowing the cost of the final product. Epoxy-based nanocomposites were successfully prepared with varying combinations of CNT and CB as conductive fillers and their electrical and mechanical properties were evaluated. It was shown that adding CB in CNT composites can enhance the electrical conductivity of the composites: a low percolation threshold was achieved with 0.20 wt% CNTs and 0.20 wt% of CB. CB enhanced the ductility of the nanocomposites, confirming the synergic effect of CB as an effective multi-functional filler. Flexural modulus and strength were remained at around 3.30 GPa and 110 MPa, respectively, between the composites containing CNT only and those filled with hybrid fillers. The implications of the findings are discussed regarding practical applications of the composites as the thermal interface material for electronics packaging.