Formation of a percolating cluster in films prepared by cathodic electrodeposition of a mixture of lower and higher molecular weight epoxy-amine adducts

The electrodeposition behavior of blends of primary dispersions of a lower and a higher molecular weight epoxy-amine adduct has been investigated. The throwing power of the above-mentioned blends showed a voltage-dependent critical composition at which the throwing power dropped to a much lower value. This was assigned to the formation of an infinite conducting cluster, the extension of which is dependent on the rate of the electrocoagulation process at the cathode boundary. The random resistor network approach of Stauffer (RRNS) and the random resistor network approach of Miller and Abrahams (RRNMA) were applied to the experimental data with high correlations (r2=0.9314 and 0.9699). The percolating cluster formed within the film, however, gave a critical exponent of conductivity equal to 1.1028, much less than expected from a classical three-dimensional lattice (i.e., 1.5-2.0). This discrepancy was explained in terms of the changed behavior of the film resulting from the bubbles formed near the cathode and its effect on the infinite conducting cluster.