Characterization of Electrical Properties of Polymers for Conductive Nano-Composites

Abstract

Properties of various conductive nano-composites are dominated by quantum-level effects across small barriers created by the matrix material. The properties of the matrix clearly have a vital influence on the resultant behavior of the material. However, the quantification of the relevant matrix properties at the quantum level is difficult to measure using current techniques. This paper reports on recent work to simplify the process of characterizing the electrical properties of various polymers at this length scale using a nano-indenter with a conductive tip. A brief overview of the physical theory behind the technique is presented, along with preliminary experimental results. Though the technique shows significant sensitivity to data analysis procedures, the measured values agree reasonably well with those available in the literature. The methodology provides key insights into the behavior of conductive nanocomposites of various types.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA578048

Entities

People

  • Andrew Dattelbaum
  • Daniel Seegmiller
  • David T. Fullwood
  • George Kaschner
  • Nathan A. Mara
  • Oliver K. Johnson
  • Thomas Mason

Organizations

  • Brigham Young University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Charge Carriers
  • Composite Materials
  • Conduction Bands
  • Data Analysis
  • Dielectrics
  • Electrical Properties
  • Energy Bands
  • Films
  • Fluoropolymers
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Measurement
  • Polymer Matrix Composites
  • Polymers
  • Quantum Tunneling
  • Test Fixtures
  • Thin Films

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.
  • Reinforced Composite Materials

Technology Areas

  • Quantum Computing