Agglomeration of fractal carbon particles into electrically conductive networks in elastomer nanocomposites

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Carbon particles from pyrolysis have long been used as fillers in elastomer composites, for example to improve the mechanical properties of tyres and gaskets. The electrical properties of such composites are rarely exploited technically. Today there is an increasing demand for elastic materials that couple mechanical and electrical properties as sensors and actuators. In this project, we will study how this coupling depends on the structure of the networks that carbon particles form in elastomers. We aim at structure property relations, for example to obtain strong electrical responses on small mechanical deformations. In contrast to highly defined carbon nanotubes of graphene flakes, conventional carbon filler particles are fractal. The transport properties of networks formed by such particles have hardly been studied. In close collaboration between an experimental and a theoretical group, we will perform simulations, prepare composites, and characterize them.