In this work, hybrid filler systems consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nano carbon black (nCB) were incorporated by melt mixing in low-density polyethylene (LDPE). To hybrid systems a mixture of MWCNTs and nCB a mass ratio of 1:1 and 3:1 were used. The purpose was to study if the synergistic effects can be achieved on tensile strength and electrical and thermal conductivity. The dispersion state of carbon nanofillers in the LDPE matrix has been evaluated with scanning electron microscopy. The melting and crystallization behavior of all nanocomposites was not significantly influenced by the nanofillers. It was found that the embedding of both types of carbon nanofillers into the LDPE matrix caused an increase in the value of Young's modulus. The results of electrical and thermal conductivity were compared to LDPE nanocomposites containing only nCB or only MWCNTs presented in earlier work LDPE/MWCNTs. It was no synergistic effects of nCB in multi-walled CNTs and nCB hybrid nanocomposites regarding mechanical properties, electrical and thermal conductivity, and MWCNTs dispersion. Since LDPE/MWCNTs nanocomposites exhibit higher electrical conductivity than LDPE/MWCNTs + nCB or LDPE/nCB nanocomposites at the same nanofiller loading (wt.%), it confirms our earlier study that MWCNTs are a more efficient conductive nanofiller. The presence of MWCNTs and their concentration in hybrid nanocomposites was mainly responsible for the improvement of their thermal conductivity.
Keywords: carbon nanotubes; electrical conductivity; hybrid carbon nanofillers; low-density polyethylene nanocomposites; nano carbon black; thermal conductivity.