Two percolation thresholds and remarkably high dielectric permittivity in pristine carbon nanotube/elastomer composites

Abstract

Pristine carbon nanotube (CNT)/elastomer composites were fabricated using pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a thermoplastic elastomer. These composites exhibited a unique phenomenon of two electrical percolation thresholds that invoked very high dielectric values for the resulting composites. The first percolation was associated with a relatively low dielectric constant value of about 100, while in the vicinity of the second percolation threshold a very high dielectric constant value of 8,000 was achieved. The presence of two percolation thresholds was attributed to the unique distribution patterns of CNTs that ensued in a CNT/elastomer composite system with unique electrical properties.