Effect of annealing at room temperature on the surface resistivity of elastomer/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites

In this study, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) were melt-mixed with multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), respectively. The change in the surface resistivity of the nanocomposites during annealing at room temperature was examined. The surface resistivity of TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites with 3 and 5 phr MWCNT and uncrosslinked EPDM/MWCNT nanocomposites with 4 and 6 phr MWCNT significantly increases with increasing annealing time at room temperature. To delay the increase of surface resistivity during annealing at room temperature, silica was added to the TPU/MWCNT and EPDM/MWCNT nanocomposites. The rate of increase in the surface resistivity during annealing at room temperature was much slower with addition of silica to the nanocomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers