Speaker
Description
We study the electrical and mechanical properties of poly(ethylene oxide)/multiwalled carbon
nanotube (PEO/MWCNT) composites made by melt mixing and compression molding. The dielec-
tric properties of the PEO/MWCNT composites have been studied in the frequency range from
100 mHz to 1 MHz as a function of temperature and ?ller concentration. Dielectric relaxation
times and DC conductivity were extracted from the data by ?tting to existing models. The perco-
lation transition of the MWCNT in the composites occurs for a MWCNT concentration between
2 and 3 wt%. Storage and loss moduli and the mechanical relaxation time were examined as a
function of MWCNT concentration and temperature using a shear rheometer. We examined the
dispersion of the MWCNT in the PEO matrix using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron
microscopy. The results of these experiments provide information about the microstructure of the
nanocomposite and the interactions between the polymer molecules and the CNTs.
