Resistivity of carbon fibers/ABS resin composites

The resistivity of carbon fiber/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin composites was investigated. Short carbon fibers (unoxidized and oxidized) were blended with ABS resin using chloroform as solvent and samples were m ade by hot pressing method. The composites display good conductivity when f iber volume content is larger than 2%, then the resistivity of composites g radually decreases with increasing filler fraction and the experimental dat a is in good agreement with the percolation theory. Raising carbon fiber le ngths reduces the resistivity of composites. The oxidation of carbon fibers greatly increases the resistivity of composites. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.