A Simple Model for Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Nanofiber Polymer Composites

Literature studies have not reported an applicable model for electrical conductivity of carbon nanofiber (CNF) polymer composites. This study presents a theoretical methodology for conductivity of carbon nanofiber (CNF) polymer composites by CNF effective volume fraction, interphase thickness, percolation onset, CNF dimensions, CNF waviness, fraction of networked CNF, and tunneling size. The suggested model has been approved by comparing the experimental outputs with calculations. The predictions depict good agreement with the experimental data of several samples. In addition, the impressions of the main factors on the conductivity have been confirmed to justify the proposed model. Some terms, such as the percentage of percolated CNF, filler volume fraction, and tunneling distance, significantly control the conductivity, while percolation onset and CNF waviness unimportantly affect the electrical conductivity of CNF-filled composites.