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J. Compos. Sci.
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Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites
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Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2022) | Viewed by 14281

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Shanju Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
Interests: conductive polymers and their composites; polymer nanocomposites; hybrid nanocomposites; morphologies and structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrically conductive polymer composites (CPCs) are functional polymer composite materials comprising polymeric components and conductive components. They have exhibited excellent physical properties including high conductivities, tunable electrical properties, mechanical flexibility, and ease of process. CPC materials have been used for various emerging applications, such as sensors, supercapacitors, batteries, photovoltaics, electromagnetic interference shielding materials, biomedical applications, and wearable devices. CPCs can be made when electrically conductive fillers, such as carbon black and metallic particles, are incorporated into the insulating polymer matrix. The alternative is made from the conductive polymer matrix with functional fillers such as metal oxides, carbon nanotubes, and biologically active particles. The structure and morphology of CPCs play crucial roles in controlling the physical properties for various applications.

This Special Issue focuses on recent progress in advanced CPCs with tunable physical properties and functionalities. Authors are encouraged to submit papers on fabrication, characterization, and properties of advanced CPCs for applications as described above. Experimental and theoretical studies on the recent development of advanced CPCs are welcome in the Special Issue. Authors are encouraged to contribute to the Special Issue by submitting original papers as well as review articles.

Prof. Dr. Shanju Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Conductive composites
  • Conductive polymers
  • Conductive fillers
  • Nanofillers
  • Composite fabrication
  • Electrical conductivities
  • Structures
  • Morphologies
  • Interfaces
  • Modeling
  • Sensors
  • Biomedicine
  • Flexible devices
  • Wearables

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4776 KiB  
Article
Thermally Conductive Styrene-Butadiene Rubber/Boron Nitride Nanotubes Composites
by Cristina S. Torres-Castillo and Jason R. Tavares
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(9), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs6090272 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2264
Abstract
The use of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) for fabrication of thermally conductive composites has been explored in the last years. Their elevated thermal conductivity and high mechanical properties make them ideal candidates for reinforcement in polymeric matrices. However, due to their high tendency [...] Read more.
The use of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) for fabrication of thermally conductive composites has been explored in the last years. Their elevated thermal conductivity and high mechanical properties make them ideal candidates for reinforcement in polymeric matrices. However, due to their high tendency to agglomerate, a physical or chemical treatment is typically required for their successful incorporation into polymer matrices. Our previous study about the dispersibility of BNNTs allowed determination of good solvents for dispersion. Here, we performed a similar characterization on styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) to determine its solubility parameters. Although these two materials possess different solubility parameters, it was possible to bridge this gap by employing a binary mixture. The solvent casting approach followed by hot pressing was chosen as a suitable method to obtain thermally conductive SBR/BNNT composites. The resulting nanocomposites showed up to 35% of improvement in thermal conductivity and a 235% increase in storage modulus in the frequency sweep, when a BNNT loading of 10 wt% was used. However, the viscoelastic properties in the amplitude sweep showed a negative effect with the increase in BNNT loading. A good balance in thermal conductivity and viscoelastic properties was obtained for the composite at a BNNT loading of 5 wt%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites)
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10 pages, 1210 KiB  
Communication
See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me: A Contextual Overview of Conductive Polymer Composites as Synthetic Human Skin
by Douglas E. Snyder and Erik D. Sapper
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(5), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs6050141 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2152
Abstract
The fields of polymer science, conductive composites, materials engineering, robotics, and human perception intersect at the development and application of synthetic human skin. To be accepted by human users, artificial human skin must meet several requirement benchmarks. Synthetic human skin must look realistic, [...] Read more.
The fields of polymer science, conductive composites, materials engineering, robotics, and human perception intersect at the development and application of synthetic human skin. To be accepted by human users, artificial human skin must meet several requirement benchmarks. Synthetic human skin must look realistic, but not be eerie or creepy, upsetting those using or interacting with the material. Synthetic skin must feel like human skin, including mechanical response, thermal conductivity, and tactile properties. Realistic synthetic human skin must be electrically conductive, so that the user may experience accurate sensations of touch and feel. Finally, synthetic human skin should possess some degree of self-healing behavior. This review provides a brief description of advances in these disparate aspects of synthetic skin science, from the perspective of a practicing conductive polymer composite scientist and engineer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites)
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17 pages, 8081 KiB  
Article
Blending for Achieving Theoretical Mechanical and Electrical Property Enhancement in Polyacrylonitrile/SWNT Materials
by Heng Li, Conor M. Doyle and Marilyn L. Minus
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(5), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs6050122 - 22 Apr 2022
Viewed by 1878
Abstract
Filtration based processing of nanotube and polymer-nanotube dispersions is used to create polymer and nano-filler hybrid materials. The composite morphology consists of two layers: (1) a region where polymer chains have direct matrix interaction with the nano-fillers and (2) a nano-filler rich region [...] Read more.
Filtration based processing of nanotube and polymer-nanotube dispersions is used to create polymer and nano-filler hybrid materials. The composite morphology consists of two layers: (1) a region where polymer chains have direct matrix interaction with the nano-fillers and (2) a nano-filler rich region excluded from matrix interactions. The experimental work here demonstrates the processing of this hybrid material using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) at various PAN/SWNT weight concentrations. Mechanical analyses were performed to evaluate effective contributions from the SWNT in each of the defined layers. The region of high matrix-filler interactions exhibits blending behavior with material properties following suit. As a result, mechanical performance is consistent and begins to exceed theoretical predictions derived from Halpin–Tsai calculations. Tensile strength and modulus reached values as high as 60 MPa and 7.7 GPa, respectively, surpassing the performance of neat nano-filler (36 MPa, 3.9 GPa) and neat polymer matrix (44 MPa, 2.0 GPa) films. Additionally, the measurement of electrical properties shows that the blended polymer-SWNT region exhibits conductivity comparable to the filler. The results of this work suggest that blending polymers and nano-fillers is possible and may facilitate the production of materials with comparatively high mechanical performance and electrical conductivities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites)
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10 pages, 3728 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Gelation of Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites Consisting of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and ZnO Nanowires
by Franceska A. Santos, Dana J. Christensen II, Ryan Y. Cox, Spencer A. Schultz, Raymond H. Fernando and Shanju Zhang
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(8), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs5080199 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
The sol–gel transition of conductive nanocomposites consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and ZnO nanowires in o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) has been investigated rheologically. The physical gelation of P3HT in o-DCB spontaneously occurs upon adding the small amount of ZnO nanowires. The rheological [...] Read more.
The sol–gel transition of conductive nanocomposites consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and ZnO nanowires in o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) has been investigated rheologically. The physical gelation of P3HT in o-DCB spontaneously occurs upon adding the small amount of ZnO nanowires. The rheological properties of the P3HT/ZnO nanocomposite gels have been systematically studied by varying factors such as polymer concentration, nanowire loading, and temperature. The nanocomposite gel exhibits shear-thinning in the low shear rate range and shear-thickening in the high shear rate range. The elastic storage modulus of the nanocomposite gel gradually increases with gelation time and is consistently independent of frequency at all investigated ranges. The isothermal gelation kinetics has been analyzed by monitoring the storage modulus with gelation time, and the data are well fitted with a first-order rate law. The structural analysis data reveal that the polymer forms the crystalline layer coated on ZnO nanowires. A fringed micelle model is proposed to explain the possible gelation mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites)
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10 pages, 6427 KiB  
Article
Chromatic Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites of Poly (p-Phenylene Ethynylene)s and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
by Shanju Zhang, Uwe H. F. Bunz and David G. Bucknall
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(6), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs5060158 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2052
Abstract
We report on dispersions and thin films of chromatic conductive nanocomposites of poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) generated via solution mixing. The linear, conjugated PPEs with dialkyl- and dialkyloxy-side chain groups are shown to debundle and disperse high [...] Read more.
We report on dispersions and thin films of chromatic conductive nanocomposites of poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) generated via solution mixing. The linear, conjugated PPEs with dialkyl- and dialkyloxy-side chain groups are shown to debundle and disperse high concentration (up to 2.5 mg/mL) SWNTs in various organic solvents. The solubilization of SWNTs and PPE wrapping is accompanied with the change in the solution color. Ultraviolet visible absorption spectra of nanocomposite solutions demonstrate a new absorption peak at a higher wavelength, supporting the observed chromatism. Fluorescence spectra of nanocomposite solutions display significant quenching of the fluorescence intensity and the Stern–Volmer model is used to analyze fluorescence quenching. Electron microscopy of the chromatic solid films of high mass fraction PPE/SWNT nanocomposites obtained by vacuum filtration reveals the debundled SWNTs in the PPE matrix. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of these PPE/SWNT nanocomposite films are as high as 150 MPa and 15 GPa, respectively. The composite films exhibit remarkably high conductivities, ranging from ~1000 S/m to ~10,000 S/m for 10 wt% and 60 wt% SWNT nanocomposites, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites)
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Review

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24 pages, 943 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Usage of Continuous Carbon Fibers for Piezoresistive Self Strain Sensing Fiber Reinforced Plastics
by Patrick Scholle and Michael Sinapius
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(4), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs5040096 - 2 Apr 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3573
Abstract
This literature review examines the application of carbon fibers and their reinforced plastics for Self-Strain-Sensing structures and gives an up-to-date overview of the existing research. First, relevant basic experimental approaches that can be found in the literature are presented and discussed. Next, we [...] Read more.
This literature review examines the application of carbon fibers and their reinforced plastics for Self-Strain-Sensing structures and gives an up-to-date overview of the existing research. First, relevant basic experimental approaches that can be found in the literature are presented and discussed. Next, we propose to cluster the available articles into 5 categories based on specimen size and ranging from experiments on bare carbon fiber via impregnated fiber rovings to carbon fiber laminates. Each category is analyzed individually and the potential differences between them are discussed based on experimental evidence found in the past. The overview shows, that the choice of carbon fiber and the specific experimental setup both significantly influence the piezoresistive properties measured in Self-Strain-Sensing carbon fiber reinforced plastics. Conclusively, based on the conclusions drawn from the literature review, we propose a small number of measurements that have proven to be important for the analysis of Self-Strain-Sensing carbon fiber structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Conductive Polymer Composites)
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