The effect of graphene and natural rubber content on mechanical and electrical conductivity properties of epoxy/natural rubber/graphene conductive materials

The effect of graphene and natural rubber content on the mechanical and electrical performance of two-matrix system epoxy/ natural rubber with graphene nano-platelets (GNP) as a conductive nano-filler were investigated. Natural rubber (SMRL) was used as a toughening agent to improve the toughness properties of thermosetting epoxy resins. Graphene nano-platelets which acted as a conductive nano-filler were incorporated into two-matrix system to produced the outstanding electrical performance. There is an insulator to condutor transition at a significantly lower graphene loading to formed percolated pathway for the electron transfer. The percolation threshold were achieved at 0.8 vol% of graphene nano-filler. The result showed an improvement of the fracture toughness of the epoxy resins with the presence of graphene and natural rubber. The XRD result concluded that the conductive materials have intercalated structure.