POWRE: Determination and Modelling of Synergistic Effects of Carbon Based Conductive Fillers for Electrically and Thermally Conductive Resins

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This Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) project is to investigate the synergistic effects of combining several forms of carbon based conductive fillers to enhance the thermal and electrical conductivity of polymer composites. Electrically and thermally conductive resins are commercially produced today in limited quantities. However, demand for thermally and electrically conductive resins is rapidly growing due to more stringent regulation on electronic noise, as well as the increased need for smaller, more densely packed electronic components. The vast majority of the conductive resins available today or studied in the past utilize only one type of conductive filler. In prior work, the principal investigator has noted a positive synergistic effect when three different carbon-based conductive fillers are combined in nylon 6,6 matrix material. Hence, in this study, a factorial design approach will be used to determine the effect of four different commercially available and cost effective carbon-based conductive fillers on the thermal and electrical conductivity of a polycarbonate and a nylon 6,6 based conductive resin. These conductive resins will be further studied to determine the variables (conductivity of the constituents, % crystallinity of the matrix, length of conductive filler in the composite, distance between conductive fillers, etc.) that affect thermal and electrical conductivity. This information will be used to develop thermal and electrical conductivity models that accurately predict the thermal and electrical conductivity of conductive resins containing combinations of different conductive fillers. The project is expected to provide networking opportunities for the principal investigator in her academic pursuits, as well as to expand upon the industrial links from her earlier professional activities.