Scanning Probe Microscopy: A Useful Tool for the Analysis of Carbon Black-Filled Polymer Blends

Conducting polymer composites, that consist of a conducting filler randomly distributed throughout insulating polymers or polymeric materials, deserve interest for different applications such as sensors and electromagnetic radiation shielding. The electrical resistivity of Carbon Black (CB)-filled multiphase polymer blends depends on the CB localization. This study has emphasized that Lateral Force Microscopy is a powerful tool to investigate the morphology of CB-filled polymer blends in relation to the blend composition and CB loading. As a rule, CB can be selectively localized in one phase or at the interface of a binary polymer blend, depending on the thermodynamics of the ternary system and the kinetics of the dispersion process. The selective localization of CB at the interface of polyblends with a co-continuous two-phase morphology is a unique situation that allows the CB percolation threshold to be decreased down to 0.5 wt%.