Transition of electrical conductivity in carbon nanotube/silver particle composite buckypapers--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Su, F., & Miao, M. (2014). Transition of electrical conductivity in carbon nanotube/silver particle composite buckypapers. Particuology, 17, 15–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2014.03.004

Transition of electrical conductivity in carbon nanotube/silver particle composite buckypapers

Fenghua Su ^{a b}, Menghe Miao ^b *

a School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
b CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, P.O. Box 21, Belmont, Victoria 3216, Australia

10.1016/j.partic.2014.03.004

Volume 17, December 2014, Pages 15-21

Received 20 November 2013, Revised 28 February 2014, Accepted 10 March 2014, Available online 19 May 2014.

E-mail: menghe.miao@csiro.au

Highlights

• Conductivity of MWCNT buckypapers was increased by incorporating silver particles.

• Surface deposition method was much more effective than co-dispersion method.

• For a core-sheath structure made by surface deposition, a percolation threshold of 3 vol% was obtained.

Abstract

The electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube buckypapers can be dramatically increased by incorporation of silver particles contained in a commercial silver paste. Two methods, co-dispersion during the production of buckypaper and surface coating on a preformed buckypaper, were used to prepare composite buckypapers. The two types of composite buckypapers exhibited very different electrical conductivity profiles. The composite buckypapers prepared by the surface coating method showed a distinct step transition in electrical conductivity at 3 vol% silver content, leading to a 15-fold improvement at 6% silver content. The composite buckypapers prepared by the co-dispersion method showed a gradual change in electrical conductivity with increasing silver particle content, resulting in a five-fold improvement at 12% silver content. Surface and sectional morphologies of the two types of composite buckypapers were examined and related to their electrical conductivity profiles.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Carbon nanotubes; Buckypaper; Electrical conductivity

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