Effect of Graphite as Filler on Conductive Polymer Composites Based on Corn Starch and Liquid Natural Rubber on its Electric Conductivity Properties
Miftahul Fiqri (a), Syahrul Humaidi (a*), Erna Frida (a), Doli Bonardo (a)

(a) Post Graduate Program (Physics), FMIPA, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Bioteknologi I Kampus USU, Medan, 20155, Indonesia
*syahrul1[at]usu.ac.id

Abstract

A mixture of corn starch and glycerol plasticizer (CSG) then blended with latex natural rubber (LNR) and 10 phr carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has been successfully carried out to produce a conductive polymer composite (CPC) with resistivity in transverse and lengthwise direction 8\times10^2 and 20-45 Ohm cm, respectively. A number of graphite is used as a modifier agent in determining the electrical conductivity properties. Material characteristics, and electrical properties of the obtained materials were studied. The mechanism of the effect of a number of graphite as conductive filler on functional properties of CPC was discussed. It was found, that the amount of conductive filler significantly affects the level of functional properties. The use of 6 wt of graphite is more optimal in comparison with samples without adding graphite and adding up to 4 wt%. The addition of more than 6 wt% causes instability of the material structure so that it causes overlapping of electron transfer in it, this has an impact on current leakage that occurs in the material so that it experiences electron transfer failure and maximum saturation. Thus, CPC with 6 wt% of graphite filler has the highest electrical conductivity and lightning strike resistance in comparison with CPC which has been varied with graphite in other ratios. This approach is promising to impart antistatic properties for conductive polymer composite and increase lightning resistance of the material.

Keywords: Conductive polymer composite- Graphite- Corn starch- Liquid natural rubber

Topic: Materials Sciences: Synthetic and Characterization