ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMER FILMS OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL

Abstract

In many fields of technology, there is a great need for electrically conductive polymer materials. However, most polymers are dielectric materials. Based on them, electrically conductive compositions can be obtained by introducing various fillers into their composition, such as metals or carbon materials: graphite, carbon black, soot, graphite fibers.

In the case of filling with metals, there are at least two problems: their high density and the possibility of chemical interaction of the metal surface with the polymer matrix.

To ensure electrical conductivity in the volume of a polymer composite, contacts between metal particles are necessary, and this is achieved only at high degrees of filling, which leads to a deterioration in the strength properties of the composite. Many metals are indifferent to the polymer, which leads to their chemical interaction and disruption of contacts between filler particles, as well as to a decrease in the conductivity of the composite.

Of the carbon fillers, soot attracts attention. It is characterized by a developed surface, high affinity for organic polymers, often has a strengthening function as part of a composite, and also low density. This makes it possible to achieve high volumetric filling degrees with a relatively low mass content in the composite composition.

However, compared to metals, carbon black has relatively low electrical conductivity. It has been established that the positive properties of metals and carbon black as fillers of electrically conductive polymer composites can be combined by metallization of the surface of the latter - this ensures high contact electrical conductivity of the filler at a relatively low mass content in the polymer composite.