Effect of elongation on electric resistance of carbon-polymer systems [I]

Effects of elongation on the electric resistance of graphite-EVA(ethylene-a cetate copolymer) systems were studied. It was found that a linear relation holds between the logarithm of electric resistance and elongation. We have made a simulation with tunneling junction-model. Namely, we have assumed t hat the system consists of many tunneling junctions which form series and p arallel circuits through the system and that widths of tunneling potentials proportionally increase with elongation. The result of the simulation agre es with experiment: a linear relation holds between the logarithm of electr ic resistance and elongation. This implies that tunneling conduction plays an important role in carbon-polymer systems. However this result raises a n ew problem on the mechanism of switching which was thought to have been sol ved already. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.