Water sorption and polymer dynamics in hybrid poly(2-hydroxyethyl-co-ethyl acrylate)/silica hydrogels

This work probes the hydration properties and molecular dynamics of hybrid poly(hydroxyethyl-co-ethyl acrylate)/silica hydrogels. Two series of hybrid copolymers were prepared by simultaneous polymerization and silica preparation by sol-gel method, the first with hydroxyethyl acrylate/ethyl acrylate (HEA/EA) composition at 100/0, 90/10, 70/30, 50/50, 30/70, 10/90 and fixed silica content at 20 wt.%, and the second with fixed HEA/EA organic composition at 70/30 and 0, 5, 10 and 20 wt.% of silica. The hydration properties of these systems were studied at 25 °C by exposure to several controlled water vapor atmospheres (water activities 0-0.98) in sealed jars and by immersion in distilled water. Finally, the molecular dynamics of the hydrated hybrids at several levels of hydration was probed with Thermally Stimulated Depolarization Currents (TSDC) in the temperature interval between −150 and 20 °C. The results indicate that a critical region of silica content between 10 and 20 wt.% exists, above which silica is able to form an inorganic network. This silica network prevents the expansion of water clusters inside the hydrogels and subsequently the total stretching of the polymer network without obstructing the water sorption at the first stages of hydration from the dry state. As concerns the copolymer composition, the presence of EA reduces water sorption and formation of water clusters affecting directly to the hydrophilic regions. The TSDC thermograms reveal the presence of a single primary main broad peak denoted as α_cop relaxation process, which is closely related to the copolymer glass transition, and of a secondary relaxation process denoted as β_sw relaxation, which originates from the rotational motions of the lateral hydroxyl groups with attached water molecules. The single α_cop implies structural homogeneity at the nanoscale in HEA-rich samples (x_HEA > 0.5), while for high EA content (x_EA ? 0.5) phase separation is detected. Both relaxation processes show strong dependence on water content and organic phase composition.     

Effect of filler networking on the response of thermosensitive composite hydrogels

Several composite hydrogels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAm) with sodium montmorillonite (NaMM) have been synthesized using a fixed polymer/NaMM ratio (4:1 wt./wt.), but various monomer concentrations, in order to obtain hydrogels with different degrees of swelling, and thus different clay contents in the swollen state. For comparison, unfilled pNIPAAm gels have been also prepared at the same concentrations. The equilibrium swelling behaviour of the gels has been studied both in the swollen and in the shrunk state. In the swollen state, the polymer volume fraction increases with the initial monomer concentration C₀. In the shrunk state, the polymer fraction in pNIPAAm hydrogels is dependent on the specimen size and on C₀, whereas in the composite gels a constant polymer content is observed. When subjected to stepwise heating from 25 to 45 °C, unfilled gels undergo only poor deswelling. By contrast, complete deswelling takes place in composite gels. The latter show half-shrinking times varying over two orders of magnitude, depending on the monomer concentration and on the procedure followed to disperse NaMM, which determine the overall dispersion state of the filler, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In particular, TEM observations show clay networking above a percolation threshold near 2.5 wt.% of NaMM. The effect of the incorporation of clay on the response to thermal stimuli is discussed in terms of the ability of NaMM to hinder the hydrophobic association of pNIPAAm segments and in terms of its dispersion state. It is suggested that, above the percolation threshold, NaMM forms a hydrophilic, physical network, through which water can flow also above the volume transition temperature, where pNIPAAm acquires a hydrophobic character.     

Reduced percolation thresholds of immiscible conductive blends

The DC conductivity of polymer blends composed of poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA) and high density polyethylene (HDPE), where a conductive carbon black (CB) had been preferentially blended into the HDPE, were investigated to establish the percolation characteristics. The blends exhibited reduced percolation thresholds and enhanced conductivities above that of the individually carbon filled HDPE and EVA. The percolation threshold of the EVA/HDPE/CB composites was between 3.6 and 4.2 wt % carbon black, where the volume resistivity changed by 8 orders of magnitude. This threshold is at a significantly lower carbon content than the individually filled HDPE or EVA. At a carbon black loading of 4.8 wt %, the EVA/HDPE/CB composite exhibits a volume resistivity which is approximately 14 and 11 orders of magnitude lower than the HDPE/CB and EVA/CB systems, respectively, at the same level of incorporated carbon black. The dielectric response of the ternary composites, at a temperature of 23°C and frequency of 1 kHz, exhibited an abrupt increase of ca. 252% at a carbon concentration of 4.8 wt %, suggesting that the percolation threshold is somewhat higher than the range predicted from DC conductivity measurements. Percolating composites with increasing levels of carbon black exhibit significantly greater relative permittivity and dielectric loss factors, with the composite containing 6 wt % of carbon black having a value of ϵ′ ≈ 79 and ϵ″ ≈ 14. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1899–1910, 1999     

Water‐resistant conducting hybrids from electrostatic interactions

Conductive hybrids were prepared in a water/ethanol solution via the sol–gel process from an inorganic sol containing carboxyl groups and water‐borne conductive polyaniline (cPANI). The inorganic sol was prepared by the hydrolysis and condensation of methyltriethoxysilane with the condensed product of maleic anhydride and aminopropyltriethoxysilane as a catalyst, for which the carboxyl counterion along the cPANI backbone acted as an electrostatic‐interaction moiety. The existence of this electrostatic interaction could improve the compatibility of the two components and contribute to the homogeneous dispersion of cPANI in the silica phase. The electrostatic‐interaction hybrids displayed a conductivity percolation threshold as low as 1.1 wt % polyaniline in an emeraldine base, showing 2 orders of magnitude higher electrical conductivity than that without electrostatic interactions. The electrostatic‐interaction hybrids also showed good water resistance; the electrical conductivity with a cPANI loading of 16 wt % underwent a slight change after 14 days of soaking in water. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1424–1431, 2007     

Water and polymer dynamics in poly(hydroxyl ethyl acrylate-co-ethyl acrylate) copolymer hydrogels

Water and polymer dynamics in hydrogels based on random copolymers of hydrophilic poly(hydroxyl ethyl acrylate) (PHEA) and hydrophobic poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA), in wide ranges of composition, were investigated by means of two dielectric techniques, thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) and, mainly, broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) at several levels of relative humidity/water content. Water sorption of the hydrogels was studied by equilibrium sorption isotherms (ESI). Two secondary relaxations (γ and β_sw) and the primary (segmental) α relaxation associated with the glass transition of the copolymer matrix were followed and analyzed against copolymer composition and water content. The results show that the copolymers are homogeneous at nm scale, except at very high PEA content. Correlations were observed between results on the organization of water in the hydrogels and on water effects on polymer dynamics. Distinct changes in the dielectric response, in particular in the time scale and the dielectric strength of the β_sw relaxation, at the water content of the completion of the first hydration layer indicate that water molecules themselves contribute to the dielectric response at higher water contents. Proton conductivity of the hydrogels at various levels of water content was also studied and correlation to segmental dynamics (decoupling) was analyzed.     

Influence of multiwall carbon nanotubes on morphology and electrical conductivity of PP/ABS blends

Polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) blends with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were prepared by melt mixing. PP/ABS blends without MWNT revealed coarse co continuous structures on varying the ABS content from 40 to 70 wt %. Bulk electrical conductivity of the blends showed lower percolation threshold (0.4–0.5 wt %) in the 45/55 co continuous blends whereas the percolation threshold was between 2 and 3 wt % in matrix‐particle dispersed morphology of 80/20 blends. Interestingly, droplet size was observed to decrease with addition of MWNT above percolation threshold in 80/20 blends. Further, the bulk electrical conductivity was found to be dependent on the melt flow index of PP. The non‐polar or weakly polar nature of blends constituents resulted in the temperature independent dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and DC electrical conductivity. Rheological analysis revealed the formation of 3D network‐like structure in 80/20 PP/ABS blends at 3 wt % MWNT. An attempt was made to understand the relationship between rheology, morphology, and electrical conductivity of these blends. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2286–2295, 2008     

Fundamental study of crystallization,orientation, and electrical conductivity of electrospun PET/carbon nanotube nanofibers

The morphology, structure, and properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) conductive nanoweb were studied in this article. Nanocomposite nanofibers were obtained through electrospinning of PET solutions in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/dichloromethane (DCM) containing different concentrations and types of CNTs. Electrical conductivity measurements on nanofiber mats showed an electrical percolation threshold around 2 wt % multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The morphological analysis results showed smoother nanofibers with less bead structures development when using a rotating drum collector especially at high concentrations of CNTs. From crystallographic measurements, a higher degree of crystallinity was observed with increasing CNT concentrations above electrical percolation. Spectroscopy results showed that both PET and CNT orientation increased with the level of alignment of the nanofibers when the nanotube concentration was below the electrical percolation threshold; while the orientation factor was reduced for aligned nanofibers with higher content in CNT. Considerable enhancement in mechanical properties, especially tensile modulus, was found in aligned nanofibers; at least six times higher than the modulus of random nanofibers at concentrations below percolation. The effect of alignment on the mechanical properties was less important at higher concentrations of CNTs, above the percolation threshold. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 2052–2064, 2010     

Effect of a post‐annealing process on microstructure and mechanical properties of high‐density polyethylene/silica nanocomposites

High‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and nanosilica nanocomposites were prepared for SiO₂ content up to 15 wt%. Microstructural characterization evidenced a homogenous distribution of silica aggregates with a mean size increasing with the filler content finally resulting in a rheological percolation between 7.5 and 10 wt%. Nanoparticles did not induce any significant impact on the matrix crystallinity but led to a real improvement on elastic properties accompanied with a large embrittlement above the percolation threshold. The effect of annealing near HDPE melting temperature was studied. Differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, and small‐angle X‐ray scattering analyses showed a significant change in the HDPE microstructure after annealing at 125°C. A large increase in the crystallinity (from 68 to 76%) and a clear improvement of Young's modulus (by 55%) were observed prior to polymer degradation. A valuable impact of silica particles on thermal stability was also obvious regarding the evolution of elastic properties for extended exposure times (850–1,200 h). © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 535–546     

Differences in water sorption and proton conductivity between Nafion and SPEEK

Water sorption, volumetric expansion, and proton conductivity of 1100 EW Nafion and 555 EW sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK) were compared as functions of water activity at 60 and 80 °C. Water sorption in Nafion occurs with a small positive volume of mixing, ～0.005 cm³/cm³. In contrast, water sorption in SPEEK has a large negative volume of mixing ～?0.05 cm³/cm³. The percolation thresholds for proton conduction occur at hydrophilic volume fractions of 0.10 in Nafion and 0.30 in SPEEK. Proton conductivity increases quadratically with hydrophilic volume fraction above the percolation threshold. The different percolation thresholds suggest the hydrophilic domains in Nafion grow from lamella, whereas the hydrophilic domains in SPEEK grow from spheres. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 49: 1437–1445, 2011     

Rheology,electrical conductivity,and the phase behavior of cocontinuous PA6/ABS blends with MWNT: Correlating the aspect ratio of MWNT with the percolation threshold

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (purified, p‐MWNT and ～ NH₂ functionalized, f‐MWNT) were melt‐mixed with 50/50 cocontinuous blends of polyamide 6 (PA6) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene in a conical twin‐screw microcompounder to obtain conductive polymer blends utilizing the conceptual approach of double‐percolation. The state of dispersion of the tubes was assessed using AC electrical conductivity measurements and melt‐rheology. The rheological and the electrical percolation threshold was observed to be ～ 1–2 wt % and ～ 3–4 wt %, respectively, for blends with p‐MWNT. In case of blends with f‐MWNT, the rheological percolation threshold was observed to be higher (2–3 wt %) than p‐MWNT but the electrical percolation threshold remained almost same. However, the absolute values were significantly lower than blends with p‐MWNT. In addition, significant refinement in the cocontinuous morphology of the blends with increasing concentration of MWNT was observed in both the cases. Further, an attempt was made to understand the underlying concepts in relation to cocontinuous morphologies that how the geometrical percolation threshold which adversely suffered because of the attrition of tubes under prolonged shear contributed further in retaining the rheological percolation threshold. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1619–1631, 2008     

Depolarization thermocurrent studies in poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate)/water hydrogels

Detailed investigations on the dielectric relaxation mechanisms in poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA), by means of the thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) method in the temperature range 77-300 K are reported. There is particular interest in the dependence of the dielectric relaxation mechanisms on the water content h, h = 0 ? 0.5 w/w, in an attempt to contribute to a better understanding of the physical structure of water in the PHEA hydrogels. We employ thermal sampling (TS) and partial heating (PH) techniques to experimentally analyze the observed complex relaxation processes, due to the secondary (β_sw) and the main (α) relaxation, into approximately single responses and to determine the spectra of activation energies E(T) at different h values. Measurements with different electrode configurations reveal different aspects of the dynamics of the relaxation mechanisms and allow the distinction between dipolar and conductivity relaxation contributions. It is shown that by means of these techniques we can determine certain temperature characteristics for the α relaxation and investigate their dependence on water content. We discuss the relation of these characteristic temperatures to the calorimetric glass transition temperature T_g. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of the nature of the porous confining network on the sorption, diffusion and mechanical properties of hydrogel IPNs

Two series of amphiphilic hydrogels of various compositions were prepared by sequentially interpenetrating two polymer networks, a poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) network inside either a macroporous matrix of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or a macroporous poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) network. In both cases poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) served as network II, and the firstly formed porous network was a hydrophobic homonetwork, PMMA or PEA, that conferred mechanical strength to the hydrogel. In order to obtain hydrogels with high hydrophilic content, the first network was prepared in the presence of a solvent, thus yielding a macroporous network. The two families of IPNs thus obtained were: (net-PMMA)-ipn-(net-PHEA) and (net-PEA)-ipn-(net-PHEA), with a PHEA content ranging from 36% to 87% and from 64% to 94%, respectively. The novelty of the work consisted in comparing the effect of using as the first macroporous network a polymer which is glassy at room temperature (PMMA) and another of the same family (PEA) but which is in the rubber state at room temperature. Swelling studies showed that the specific equilibrium water content of PHEA falls from 1.6 for pure (unconfined) PHEA to values that range from 0.4 to 1, for the (net-PMMA)-ipn-(net-PHEA), whereas in the second IPNs family, the equilibrium water uptake of PHEA phase is, at least, the same as that of the pure PHEA (in some cases it is greater). This means that the expansion of the PHEA phase is not restricted by the confining hydrophobic component when this last is in the rubber state at room temperature. Whereas for the first IPNs the mechanical properties significantly increased (storage modulus at 37 °C from 0.25 to 2.5 GPa) compared with those of pure PHEA (25.12 MPa), little if any reinforcing effect was observed in the second type of IPNs. This is due to the fact that the glass transition of the PEA network takes place at a lower temperature than that of PHEA, so both components are in the rubbery state at room temperature. Both series behave differently also in dynamic water sorption experiments: the rigid PMMA network hinders the diffusion of water, yielding lower values of the apparent diffusion coefficients. By contrast, with the PEA polymer as network I this diffusion is similar to that of the pure PHEA homonetwork.     

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in poly(hydroxyethyl acrylates)/water hydrogels

The electrical and dielectric properties of poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate), PHEA, hydrogels were studied by means of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in wide ranges of frequencies (5–2 × 10⁹ Hz), temperatures (173–363 K) and water contents (0.065–0.46, g of water per gram of dry material). The secondary dipolar mechanisms (γ and β_sw) and the dc conductivity mechanism were studied in detail by analyzing the dielectric susceptibility data within the complex permittivity formalism, the modulus formalism, and the complex impedance formalism. For both mechanisms molecular mobility was found to increase with increasing temperature or increasing water content (T-f-h superposition principle). The energy parameters and the shape parameters of the response were determined for both mechanisms at several water contents and temperatures. The temperature dependence of dc conductivity was found to change from Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher (VTF) type to Arrhenius type at water contents of ca. 0.30. At water contents lower than about 0.30 the hydrogels are homogeneous whereas at higher water contents a separate water phase appears. In terms of the strong/fragile classification scheme our results suggest that the PHEA hydrogels are fragile systems. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Comparative analyses of the electrical properties and dispersion level of VGCNF and MWCNT: Epoxy composites

The electrical properties and dispersion of vapor‐grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNF) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)—epoxy resin composites are studied and compared. A blender was used to disperse the nanofillers within the matrix, producing samples with concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 wt % for both nanofillers, besides the neat sample. The dispersion of the nanofillers was qualitatively analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, transmission optical microscopy, and grayscale analysis. The electrical conductivity and the dielectric constant were evaluated. The percolation threshold of MWCNT epoxy composites is lower than 0.1 wt % while for VGCNF lies between 0.1 and 0.5 wt %. The difference on the dispersion ability of the two nanofillers is due to their intrinsic characteristics. Celzard's theory is suitable to calculate the percolation threshold bounds for the VGCNF composites but not for the MWCNT composites, indicating that intrinsic characteristics of the nanofillers beyond the aspect ratio are determinant for the MWCNT composites electrical conductivity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Synthesis and thermal properties of a novel lactose‐containing poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylamidolactamine) hydrogel

An improved, simple, and efficient method for the synthesis of lactose‐containing monomer acrylamidolactamine (LAM) has been reported. Free radical copolymerization of this monomer with N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in the presence of the crosslinking reagent N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (BisA) (1.2 mol %) proceeded smoothly in an aqueous solution using potassium persulfate (KPS) and N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) as the initiating system and gave transparent hydrogels. Reactivity ratios were estimated from copolymerization reactions carried out in solution without BisA crosslinker and at low conversion, by using both linearization and nonlinearization methods. They were found to be r_LAM = 0.75 and r_NIPAM = 1.22. The swelling behavior of the hydrogels was studied by immersion of the hydrogels in deionized water at different temperatures. Equilibrium water uptake was increased when the LAM content was higher than 47 mol %, and reached ≈ 44‐fold with 100 mol % LAM at room temperature. Depending on the composition, the gels showed sharp swelling transitions with small changes in temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to characterize the swelling transition and the organization of water in the copolymer hydrogels. The amounts of freezable water in these hydrogels ranged from 81 to 89%, and was not correlated to the content of the sugar monomer. These gels have potential applications as biocompatible materials. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1393–1402, 1999     

Thermoresponsive properties of porous poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels prepared in the presence of nanosized silica particles and subsequent acid treatment

Porous poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels were prepared by the free‐radical polymerization of its monomer and a suitable crosslinker in the presence of spherical silica particles of different sizes (74 and 1600 nm) and by the subsequent acid extraction of silica. The yields were 81–83%, and the yields were not affected by the silica content. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed the porous structure of the hydrogels. Porous and nonporous hydrogels showed volume phase transitions from swelling states to deswelling states at approximately 30 °C, as analyzed by the ratio of the diameter of cylinder‐shaped hydrogels to that of the glass tube used for the hydrogel preparation at the corresponding temperature. Deswelling, which was analyzed by rapid changes in the temperature of the aqueous media from 20 to 40 °C, was facilitated by decreased silica particle size and increased silica content. The deswelling rate constant of the hydrogel prepared with 74‐nm silica at 10 v/v % (silica/solvent) was more than 1500 times greater than that of conventional hydrogels. Swelling was similarly analyzed through changes in the temperature from 40 to 20 °C and was independent of the pore structure. The deswelling–swelling cycle was repeatable with reasonable reproducibility. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the porous hydrogels was significantly maintained compared with that of conventional nonporous hydrogels. This method produced thermoresponsive hydrogels of suitable mechanical strength and remarkable deswelling properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4228–4235, 2002     

Morphological study on water‐borne conducting polyaniline‐poly(ethylene oxide) blends

Conducting polyaniline‐poly(ethylene oxide) blends were prepared from their aqueous solutions. The blends displayed an electrical conductivity percolation threshold as low as 1.83 wt % of polyaniline loading. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, polarized optical microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction studies, the conducting polyaniline took a fibrillar morphology in the blend, and it existed only in the amorphous phase of poly(ethylene oxide). A three‐phase model combining morphological factors instead of a two‐phase model was proposed to explain the low‐conductivity percolation threshold. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 605–612, 2002; DOI 10.1002/polb.10114     

High water content clay–nanocomposite hydrogels incorporating guanidinium‐pendant methacrylamide: Tuning of mechanical and swelling properties by supramolecular approach

Novel clay–polymer composite hydrogels with high water content (up to 98 wt %) are developed, in which mechanical properties are reinforced by the formation of multiple ion‐pairs between the polymer chains and clay nanosheets (CNS). When a small amount of guanidinium‐pendant methacrylamide (0.1–0.2 wt %) is copolymerized with a neutral monomer (0.5–2.0 wt %) in an aqueous dispersion of CNS (1.0–3.0 wt %), a self‐standing hydrogel with satisfactory mechanical toughness and elasticity results, despite its high water content (95–98 wt %). The mechanical properties and swelling behaviors of the hydrogels can be tuned by the amount of the guanidinium‐pendant acrylamide. A systematic study indicates that the ion pairs, formed between the guanidinium groups in the polymer chains and the oxyanions on the surfaces of the CNS, serve as crosslinking points in the three‐dimensional network developed in these hydrogels. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 839–847     

Poly(phenylene sulfide) magnetic composites. I. Relations of percolation between rheology,electrical, and magnetic properties

Poly(phenylene sulfide)/ferrosoferric oxide composites (PPS/Fe₃O₄) with various loading levels were prepared by melt compounding. The microstructure of composites was investigated using SEM and XRD. The rheological, electrical and magnetic properties were characterized respectively by the parallel plate rheometer, high resistance meter, and magnetometer. The results reveal that the Fe₃O₄ particles are well dispersed in the PPS matrix due to their nice affinity, which results in a weak strain overshoot at large amplitude oscillatory level. Both the rheological and the electrical responses of the composites show a typical percolation behavior. But the rheological percolation presents lower threshold (< 40 wt %) than that of electrical percolation (～ 50 wt %), which is attributed to the difference structure of the percolation network. The magnetic response, however, shows good linear relation with Fe₃O₄ loadings, indicating that the physical percolation has little influence on the magnetic properties. This is mainly due to the yielded long‐range magnetic interactions among Fe₃O₄ particles in the applied field, which are far stronger than those nonmagnetic physical interactions accounting for percolation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 233–243, 2008     

Electrical conductivity of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/expanded graphite nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization

Nanocomposites based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and expanded graphite (EG) have been prepared by in situ polymerization. Morphology of the nanocomposites has been examined by electronic microscopy. The relationship between the preparation method, morphology, and electrical conductivity was studied. Electronic microscopy images reveal that the nanocomposites exhibit well dispersed graphene platelets. The incorporation of EG to the PET results in a sharp insulator‐to‐conductor transition with a percolation threshold (?_c) as low as 0.05 wt %. An electrical conductivity of 10^?3 S/cm was achieved for 0.4 wt % of EG. The low percolation threshold and relatively high electrical conductivity are attributed to the high aspect ratio, large surface area, and uniform dispersion of the EG sheets in PET matrix. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012