The electrical conductivity of carbon-fibre-reinforced polypropylene/polyaniline complex-blends: experimental characterisation and modelling

The aim of this study is to characterise and model the electrical conductivity of carbon-fibre-reinforced polypropylene/polyaniline-complex blends. A correlation between the electrical conductivity and the microstructure of both the blends and the composites was found; the fibre concentration, orientation and average length affected the electrical conductivity. In addition, a synergy effect between PANI-complex and carbon fibres in the polypropylene matrix regarding the electrical conductivity occurred. In particular, the percolation threshold of carbon-fibre composites was moved towards a reduced fibre content when the blend consisted of both PANI-complex and carbon fibre. A fibre-contact model was used to describe the electrical conductivity of carbon-fibre-composites and PANI-complex-blends. It was expanded to predict also the synergy effect between LCF and PANI-complex. The predictions were in good agreement with the experimental data.