Enhancement of thermal and electrical conductivities of cyanoacrylate by addition of carbon based nanofillers

Nanocomposites with addition of graphite nanoparticles, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and graphene in cyanoacrylate from 0.1 to 0.5 or 0.6 vol% were fabricated. The influences of morphology towards thermal and electrical conductivities of cyanoacrylate nanocomposites were studied. Microstructure based on field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images indicated that nanofillers have unique morphologies which affect the thermal and electrical conductivities of nanocomposites. The maximum thermal conductivity values were measured at 0.3195 and 0.3500 W/mK for 0.4 vol% of MWCNTs/cyanoacrylate and 0.5 vol% of graphene/cyanoacrylate nanocomposite, respectively. These values were improved as high as 204 and 233% as compared with the thermal conductivity of neat cyanoacrylate. Nanocomposites with 0.2 vol% MWCNTs/cyanoacrylate fulfilled the requirement for ESD protection material with surface resistivity of 6.52 × 10⁶ Ω/sq and volume resistivity of 6.97 × 10⁹ Ω m. On the other hand, 0.5 vol% MWCNTs/cyanoacrylate nanocomposite can be used as electrical conductive adhesive. Compared with graphene and graphite nanofillers, MWCNTs is the best filler to be used in cyanoacrylate for improvement in thermal and electrical conductivity enhancement at low filler loading.