Voltage and Temperature Coefficients of Resistance of Polyethylene/ Nanocarbon-Based Thick Film Composites: Melt-Mixing Versus Melt-Infiltration Synthesis

Abstract

Carbon-composed resistors, thick film resistors, and chip resistors are commonly used in Electronics. They are prepared by mixing carbon-based materials with metal oxides or polymers and present not only some clear advantages such as low cost and easy processing, but also some unwanted characteristics such as voltage and temperature dependence of the electrical properties. Considering that the polymer-carbon mixing process induces high values for the voltage and temperature resistance coefficients (VCR, TCR) of the composites, we have developed a new method for preparing polymer/nanocarbon thick films (the melt-infiltration method) which minimizes these values. Direct current electrical measurements show VCR values of almost two orders of magnitude lower for polyethylene/nanocarbon thick film composites prepared by melt-infiltration than for composites prepared by melt-mixing (—0.04%/V and —2.5%/V, respectively).