Electrical and thermophysical behaviour of PVC-MWCNT nanocomposites

The concentration dependence of the thermophysical and electrical behaviour of composites, based on poly(vinyl chloride), filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), was investigated. The high anisotropy of the CNTs and presence of segregated structure of CNTs within the polymer matrix allowed to obtain an ultra-low value of the electrical percolation threshold φc = 0.00047. An increase of thermal conductivity on CNT volume content was obtained after a minimum value close to φc. Introduction of CNTs into the polymer matrix was accompanied by two opposite effects influencing the heat flow through the composite. The experimental values obtained for poly(vinyl chloride)/CNT composites were used to estimate the thermal conductivity of the CNT fillers.