Structure-property relationships in polymer nanocomposites based on cross-linked polyurethanes and carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The results of experimental and calculation researches of structure, electric and thermophysical characteristics of polymer nanocomposites based on cross-linked polyurethanes (CPU) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) are presented. It is shown that the CPU-CNT systems have a structure with two fractal levels. It is discovered that the CPU-CNT nanocomposites show a percolation behavior, and the concentration dependence of electric- and heat-conductivity are well described in the framework of scaling approach. It is shown that a percolation threshold for these systems is 0.6 %. Formation of the percolation net from CNT, when the content of nanotubes is 0.6 %, was confirmed by the optical microscopy results.