Study the Effect of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) Coated Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Microbeads in an Elastomer for Conducting Applications

Abstract

The scope of this study is to synthesize an electrically conductive elastomeric nanocomposite with efficient dispersion and optimized loading levels of Carbon Nanotubes coated Poly Methyl Methacrylate as a filler which could replace expensive semi-conductors currently being used in industries, medical applications, homebased electronic devices, chemical sensor, bio-sensors, piezo electric devices & pressure sensors. To investigate the electrical conductivity enhancement with optimized loading levels of conductive filler in NBR elastomer matrix solvent dispersion method was utilized to coat the Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) on the Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) 10µm microbeads and it was validated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. From these characterization results it was concluded that CNTs has been efficiently coated on the PMMA microbeads outer surfaces. Then this coated filler was mixed with the NBR matrix in an internal mixer at (0,2,4,6,8,10) PHR levels and its vulcanization was conducted. The conductivity results showed an increment of 5 order of magnitude from (10-10 S/m) to (10-5 S/m) and at 4 PHR conductivity values of the sample was achieved and at this point only (0.062) grams of CNTs were used making this methodology a quite cost-effective and economical method and PMMA microbeads provides an effective filler volume to induce CNT conductive network as compared to previously used methods which mainly employs direct mixing of CNTs in a rubber matrix for enhancing its conductivity or other desired properties