Dependence of electrical properties of polyethylene nanocomposites on aspect ratio of carbon nanotubes

Low density polyethylene nanocomposites filled with carbon nanotubes (CNT) having three different aspect ratios have been prepared by melt mixing technique. The effects of CNT loading, its aspect ratio, and frequency of electric field on electrical and dielectric properties of the nanocomposites have been investigated. DC and AC electrical resistivity are found to decrease with the increase in CNT loading in the composites, while the dielectric constant and loss increase with the increase in CNT loading in the composites. AC electrical resistivity, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss decrease with the increase in frequency. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity decreases with the increase in aspect ratio of CNT, whereas the dielectric constant and loss increase with the increase in aspect ratio of CNT. While probable mechanisms for electrical conduction have been proposed, dielectric results have been explained by considering CNT as nanocapacitors.