Simulation of electrical conductivity for polymer carbon nanofiber composites assuming an extended nanofiber by interphase depth and tunneling distance

The Loos-Manas-Zloczower model has been simplified and developed for conductivity predicting in polymer carbon nanofiber (CNF) systems (PCNFs). Herein, CNFs surrounded by interphase and tunneling distance (λ) are considered as extended CNFs, and their resistance is calculated to determine the PCNF conductivity. The developed model is analyzed across various factors, and its predictions are compared to the actual conductivity of different samples. For instance, when λ > 8 nm, the PCNF conductivity is minimized to 0.01 S/m, whereas with a λ of 1 nm and a polymer tunnel resistivity of 50 Ω.m, the nanocomposite conductivity increases to 0.79 S/m. Thus, both tunneling space and polymer resistivity conversely manage the conductivity. Furthermore, the conductivity of the nanocomposite maximizes at 0.75 S/m with a minimum CNF radius of 30 nm and a supreme CNF length of 60 μm, which indicates that the thinnest and longest CNFs provide the uppermost PCNF conductivity. The predictions of the developed method show a good agreement with the real conductivity of various samples, confirming its validity.