Effect of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets on the fracture surface morphology and the electrical resistivity of phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide

Abstract

In the present work, exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (EGN) of 1 mu m in average particle size, which were prepared by heating at 900 degrees C and then subjected to ultrasonic, ball-milling, and vibratory ball-milling techniques, were uniformly incorporated into phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide (PETI-5) resin. The fracture surface morphology and the electrical resistivity of the EGN/PETI-5 composites were investigated. The results showed that the fracture surfaces and the electrical resistivity strongly depended on the EGN content. The fracture surfaces became more ductile and roughened with increasing EGN and the electrical resistivity was gradually decreased with increased EGN loading, indicating the percolation threshold at 5 wt% EGN.