ELECTROCONDUCTIVE NYLON-6 AND COPPER COMPOSITES

A study is reported on the effect of the filler size and concentration on the electrical resistivity, density, and hardness of composites ma de of copper powder embedded in nylon 6 matrix by means of compression molding. The electrical resistivity of the composites is > 10(11) ohm .cm unless the metal content reached the percolation threshold, beyond which the resistivity decreased markedly by as much as 10(12). The pe rcolation concentration was found to decrease with a decrease in the a verage particle diameter. The density of the composites was measured a nd compared with values calculated assuming different void levels with in the samples. However, there is no sharp variation in the density du e to the onset of percolation. Furthermore, it is shown that a percola tion concentration can be also defined in the hardness/metal. concentr ation curves as the intercept of linear regression curves of the low a nd high metal content regimes, respectively.