Three-Dimensional Monte Carlo Simulation of the Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composites

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Published 29 March 2012 ©2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics
, , Citation Dong Choon Lee et al 2012 Appl. Phys. Express 5 045101 DOI 10.1143/APEX.5.045101

1882-0786/5/4/045101

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations are performed to investigate the effects of the attractive intermolecular interaction, flexibility and size dispersity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the electrical conductivity of CNT/polymer composites. We show that a flexibility plays an important role in the CNT agglomeration; rigid CNTs agglomerate readily for sufficiently strong attractive intermolecular interaction, while flexible CNTs do not. This is because more flexible CNTs are less likely to connect to neighbor CNTs. For weak attractive intermolecular interactions, however, the electrical percolation threshold concentration increases with increases in the flexibility and size dispersity, thus decreasing the electrical conductivity.

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10.1143/APEX.5.045101