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Synergistic Effects of Carbon

Fillers on Shielding
Effectiveness in Conductive
Nylon 6,6- and
Polycarbonate-Based Resins
QUINTON J. KRUEGER, JULIA A. KING
Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton,
Michigan 49931-1295
Received: May 29, 2002
Accepted: January 9, 2003

ABSTRACT: Electrically conductive resins can be made by adding electrically


conductive fillers to typically insulating polymers. Resins with an electrical
resistivity of approximately 100  cm or less can be used for electromagnetic and
radio frequency interference shielding applications. This research focused on
performing compounding runs followed by injection molding and shielding
effectiveness (SE) testing of carbon filled nylon 6,6- and polycarbonate-based
resins. The three carbon fillers investigated included an electrically conductive
carbon black, synthetic graphite particles, and a milled pitch-based carbon fiber.
For each polymer, conductive resins were produced and tested that contained
varying amounts of these single carbon fillers. In addition, combinations of fillers
were investigated by conducting a full 23 factorial design and a complete replicate
in each polymer. The objective of this study was to determine the effects and
interactions of each filler on the SE properties of the conductive resins. Carbon

Correspondence to: Julia A. King; e-mail: jaking@mtu.edu.


Contract grant sponsor: National Science Foundation.
Contract grant number: DMI-9973278.

Advances in Polymer Technology, Vol. 22, No. 2, 96111 (2003)



C 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


black caused the largest increase in SE. Also, each single filler and each two filler
C 2003 Wiley
interaction caused a statistically significant increase in SE. 
Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 22: 96111, 2003; Published online in Wiley
InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/adv.10040

KEY WORDS: Composites, Fillers, Nylon, Polycarbonates, Shielding

Introduction

ost polymer resins are electrically insulating.


Increasing the electrical conductivity of these
resins allows them to be used in other applications.
An electrically conductive resin can be used for static
dissipative, semiconductive (e.g., fuel gages), and
electromagnetic interference (EMI)/radio frequency
interference (RFI) shielding applications (e.g., computer and cellular phone housings). The advantages
of conductive resins as compared to metals (typically used) include improved corrosion resistance,
lighter weight, and the ability to adapt the conductivity properties to suit the application needs.
Electrical resistivity (1/electrical conductivity)
values for various materials are typically in the range
from 1014 to 1017 for polymers, 102 for carbon black,
104 for highly graphitized pitch-based carbon fiber,
105 for high purity synthetic graphite, and 106
for metals such as aluminum and copper (all values in  cm). One approach to improving the electrical conductivity of a polymer is through the addition of a conductive filler material, such as carbon
and metal.1,2 Conductive resins with an electrical
resistivity (ER) ranging from approximately 1010 to
103  cm can be used for static dissipative applications. Conductive resins with ER ranging from approximately 102 to 101  cm can be used for semiconductive applications. Those with ER approximately
100  cm or less can be used for EMI/RFI shielding
applications.3
EMI is electrical energy, either in the electromagnetic or in the radio frequency range, that is emitted
by computer circuits, radio transmitters, fluorescent
lamps, electric motors, overhead power lines, lightning, etc. EMI/RFI can interfere with the operation
of other electronic equipment near it, such as causing the unwanted operation of garage door openers,
corrupting data in computer systems, and causing
pacemakers to malfunction. Federal Communications Commission regulations control the amount of
energy that can be emitted by an electronic product.
The need for EMI/RFI materials is growing because

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

of more stringent regulation on electronic noise, as


well as the increased need for smaller, more densely
packed electronic components. A shielding material
is typically used to encase an electronic product to
prevent the enclosed product from emitting electromagnetic or radio frequency energy. The shielding
material either absorbs or reflects the energy within
the material.4 The shielding effectiveness (SE) of a
material is the ratio of the power received with and
without a material present for the same incident
power. It is expressed in units of decibels (dB), as
shown in Eq. (1).5
SE = 10 log(P1 /P2 )

(1)

where P1 is the received power with the material


present and P2 is the received power without the material present. For EMI/RFI shielding applications,
typically a SE of at least 20 dB (indicates that 99% of
the electromagnetic (EM) energy is reflected or absorbed by the material) is needed.6 A SE of 30 dB
indicates that 99.9% of the EM energy is reflected or
absorbed by the material, with only 0.1% exiting the
shielding material.
There are many studies concerning adding a varying amount of a single conductive filler to a polymer
matrix so as to produce an electrically conductive,
shielding material. For example, carbon black, carbon fibers, stainless steel fibers, and nickel-coated
carbon fibers have been used.6,7 Bushko, Stokes, and
Wilson showed that a conductive resin containing
24 wt % carbon fiber in polycarbonate provided a SE
of 35 dB at a frequency of 100 MHz.6 Bigg showed
that adding 11 vol % carbon black to polypropylene produced a material with a SE of 20 dB at
100 MHz.8 Versiek reported that for polycarbonatebased resins, adding 2.5 and 6.0 wt % stainless steel
(302 alloy) fibers resulted in SE values of 30 and
40 dB, respectively.9 Murthy reported a SE of approximately 35 dB at 1000 MHz for a conductive
resin containing 10 wt % nickel-coated carbon fiber
in polycarbonate.10
In this work, researchers performed compounding runs followed by injection molding and SE

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SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


testing of carbon-filled resins. Two different polymers were used: nylon 6,6 and polycarbonate. The
three carbon fillers investigated included an electrically conductive carbon black, synthetic graphite
particles, and a milled pitch-based carbon fiber. For
each polymer, 14 formulations that contained varying amounts of these single carbon fillers were produced and tested. In addition, combinations of fillers
were investigated by conducting a full 23 factorial design and a complete replicate in each polymer. The
goal of this project was to determine the effects and
interactions of each filler on the SE properties of the
conductive resins.

Materials and Experimental


Methods
MATERIALS
Two matrix materials were utilized in this project.
The first matrix used was DuPont Zytel 101 NC010,
an unmodified semicrystalline nylon 6,6 polymer.
The second matrix used was Lexan HF 1110-111N,
which is an amorphous engineering thermoplastic
produced by GE Plastics. The properties of these
polymers are discussed elsewhere.1113
Three different carbon fillers were employed in
this project. Akzo Nobel Ketjenblack EC-600 JD,
an electrically conductive carbon black, was used.
Table I displays the properties of this carbon black.14
The highly branched, high surface area carbon black
structure allows it to contact a large amount of

TABLE I
Properties of Akzo Nobel Kejenblack EC-600 JD
Carbon Black14
Electrical resistivity of
carbon black
Product form

0.010.1  cm
Pellet in size from
100 m to a few mm
30100 nm

Size of carbon black


aggregates
Specific gravity

1.8 g/cc

Bulk density
Ash, max
Moisture, max

100120 kg/m3
0.1 wt %
0.5 wt %

BET (N2 ) surface area

1250 m2 /g

Pore volume (DBP-absorption)

480510 cm3 /100 g

98

polymer, which results in improved electrical conductivity at low carbon black concentrations. Table II
shows the properties of ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite, a high quality synthetic graphite that
is available from Conoco, Inc. Thermocarb was used
because of its high-thermal conductivity and moderately high-electrical conductivity.15 BP/Amocos
pitch-based milled (200 m long) carbon fiber, ThermalGraph DKD X, was used to improve the electrical
and thermal conductivity and the tensile strength of
the resin. Table III shows the properties of this carbon
fiber.16
In this study, a 23 factorial design (three factors
or fillers in this case at two different loading levels) was completed in each polymer. In addition, a
complete replicate of the factorial design was also
completed in each polymer. For all fillers, the lowloading level was zero wt %. The high-loading level
varied for each filler. The high levels were 5 wt % for
Ketjenblack EC-600 JD, 30 wt % for ThermocarbTM
TC-300 Specialty Graphite, and 20 wt % for ThermalGraph DKD X. Table IV shows the factorial design
formulations. Since this project focuses on producing
highly conductive composites, the high-loading levels were chosen so that the filler amounts would be
above the electrical conductivity percolation threshold. Another consideration was that the total wt %
filler for the composite with all fillers at the high
TABLE II
Properties
Graphite15

of

ThermocarbTM

Ash
Sulfur
Vibrated bulk density
Density
Particle sizing,a vol %
(by Sieve Method)
+48 Tyler Mesh
48/+80 Tyler Mesh
80/+200 Tyler Mesh
200/+325 Tyler Mesh
325 Tyler Mesh
Thermal conductivity at 23C
Electrical resistivity
Mean particle aspect ratio
Particle shape
a

TC-300

Specialty

<0.1 wt %
0.02 wt %
0.66 g/cc
2.24 g/cc

4
22
48
16
10
600 W/mK on a
6 mm particle
105  cm
(approximate)
2.0
Irregular

48 Tyler Mesh = 297 m; 80 Tyler Mesh = 177 m; 200 Tyler


Mesh = 74 m; 325 Tyler Mesh = 44 m.

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


TABLE III

Properties of BP/Amoco ThermalGraph DKD X16


Tensile strength
Tensile modulus
Electrical resistivity
Thermal conductivity

>1.39 GPa
687927 GPa
<3  m
400700 W/mK

Fiber density

2.152.25 g/cm3

Bulk density
Fiber diameter
Filament shape
Average filament length
Filament length distribution
Carbon assay

0.250.55 g/cm3
10 m
Round
200 m
<20% less than 100 m
<20% greater than 300 m
99+ wt %

Surface area

0.4 m2 /g

level be 55 wt %. Higher filler amounts would likely


make it difficult to extrude and injection mold the
conductive resin into test specimens.
Shielding effectiveness was also measured on
composites containing only one type of carbon filler
in both nylon 6,6 and polycarbonate. The loading
levels for these single-filler composites are shown in
Table V.

TEST SPECIMEN FABRICATION


For this study, the fillers were used as received.
Zytel 101 NC010 and Lexan HF 1110-111N were dried
in an indirect heated dehumidifying drying oven
(dewpoint of the recirculating air = 40 C). After
drying, the polymers were stored in moisture-barrier
bags.

The extruder used was an American Leistritz Extruder Corporation Model ZSE 27. This extruder has
a 27 mm corotating intermeshing twin screw with
10 zones and a length/diameter ratio of 40. The
screw design, displayed in Fig. 1, was chosen to obtain the maximum possible conductivity. Hence, a
minimum amount of filler degradation was desired,
while still dispersing the fillers well in the polymers.
The same screw design was used for the entire study.
The polymer pellets (Zytel or Lexan) were introduced in Zone 1. The first side stuffer, utilized to
introduce carbon black and Thermocarb TM TC-300
Specialty Graphite into the polymer melt, was located at Zone 5. The second side stuffer was located
at Zone 7 and was used to introduce the carbon fiber
into the polymer melt. Four Schenck AccuRate gravimetric feeders were used to accurately control the
amount of each material added to the extruder.
After passing through the extruder, the polymer
strands (3 mm in diameter) entered a water bath and
then a pelletizer that produced nominally 3-mm long
pellets. After compounding, the pelletized composite resin was dried again and then stored in moisture
barrier bags prior to injection molding.
A Niigata injection molding machine, model
NE85UA4 , was used to produce test specimens. This
machine has a 40-mm diameter single screw with
a length/diameter ratio of 18. The lengths of the
feed, compression, and metering sections of the single screw are 396, 180, and 144 mm, respectively. A
single cavity mold was used to produce 3.2-mm thick
and 13.1-cm diameter disks (end gated). The SE of all
formulations, except the formulation containing all
three fillers in polycarbonate, were determined. This
highest filler loading polycarbonate-based resin was
too viscous to mold.

TABLE IV
Filler Loadings in Factorial Design Formulations for Nylon 6,6 and Polycarbonate
Formulations

Ketjenblack
EC-600 JD (wt %)

ThermocarbTM TC-300
Specialty Graphite (wt %)

ThermalGraph
DKD X (wt %)

No filler
CB
SG
CBSG
CF
CBCF
SGCF
CBSGCF

0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5

0
0
30
30
0
0
30
30

0
0
0
0
20
20
20
20

CB: Carbon black; SG: Synthetic graphite (ThermocarbTM TC-300 Speciality Graphite); CF: Carbon fiber.

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

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SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


between the SE value of the load samples minus the
SE value of the reference sample. The input power
used was 0 dB and the tests were all conducted
inside a Faraday cage to minimize interference for
other electronic devices in the area. The dynamic
range (difference between the maximum and minimum signals measurable by the system) of the system was 80 dB. The nylon 6,6-based samples were
all tested dry as molded (DAM). The polycarbonatebased samples were conditioned at 50% relative humidity for 24 h at 23 C prior to testing.

TABLE V
Single Filler Loading Levels for Nylon 6,6 and
Polycarbonate
Filler

Loading Levels (wt %)

Kejenblack EC-600 JD

2.5, 4.0 , 5.0, 6.0, 7.5, 10.0

ThermocarbTM TC-300
Specialty Graphite
ThermalGraph DKD X

10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 30.0, 40.0


5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 30.0, 40.0

SE TEST METHOD
FILLER LENGTH AND ASPECT
RATIO TEST METHOD

The electromagnetic SE of each formulation was


measured according to ASTM D 4935-89 (Reapproved 1994), for planar materials using a planewave, far-field EM wave.5 This method is valid over
a frequency range of 30 MHz to 1.5 GHz. An ElectroMetrics, Inc. SE test fixture (model EM-2107A) was
used to hold the sample. A HP 8752C network analyzer was used as the signal generator and receiver.
For each formulation, one reference sample and three
load samples were tested at the following frequencies: 30, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, and
1000 MHz. The SE for a material is the difference

Main Feed
0D

GFA 2-40-90

GFA 2-30-90

4D

GFA 2-20-30

KB 5-2-30-30

KB 5-2-30-60

8D

KB 5-2-30-60

12D

KB 5-2-30-90

16D

GFA 2-40-90

GFA 2-30-60

KB 5-2-30-30

KB 5-2-30-60

KB 5-2-30-90

For Screw Type Elements


GFA-d-ee-ff
G = co-rotating
F = conveying
A = Free-Meshing
d = number of threads

20D

Atmospheric
Back Vent

KS 1-2-10 E
KS 1-2-10 A

Side Stuffer
24D

GFA 2-40-90

GFA 2-30-60

28D

KB 5-2-30-30

KB 5-2-30-60

32D

GFA 2-40-90

36D

GFA 2-30-90

GFA 2-30-30

40D

Side Stuffer

GFA 2-40-90

Atmospheric
Vent

In order to determine the length of the carbon fiber


and synthetic graphite in the SE test specimens, solvent digestion was used. A 0.2 g sample cut from
the SE test specimen was dissolved at 23 C using
formic acid to remove the nylon 6,6 and methylene
chloride to remove the polycarbonate. The fillers
were then dispersed onto a glass slide and viewed
using an Olympus SZH10 optical microscope with
an Optronics Engineering LX-750 video camera. The
images (at 60 magnification) were collected using

Kneading disks
KS1-d-hh-i
KS1 = Kneading disc
d = number of threads
h = length of kneading disc in millimeters
i = A for initial disc and E for end disc

ee = pitch (length in millimeters for one complete rotation)

ff = length of screw elements in millimeters


Kneading disks
KBj-d-kk-ll
KB = kneading block
j = number of kneading segments
d = number of threads
k = length of kneading block in millimeters
l = twisting angle of the individual kneading segments

Zones
0D to 4D is Zone 1 (water cooled, not heated)
4D to 8D is Zone 2 and Heating Zone 1
8D to 12D is Zone 3 and Heating Zone 2
12D to 16D is Zone 4 and Heating Zone 3
16D to 20D is Zone 5 and Heating Zone 4
20D to 24D is Zone 6 and Heating Zone 5
24D to 28D is Zone 7 and Heating Zone 6
28D to 32D is Zone 8 and Heating Zone 7
32D to 36D is Zone 9 and Heating Zone 8
36D to 40D is Zone 10 and Heating Zone 9
Nozzle is Heating Zone 10

FIGURE 1. Extruder screw design.

100

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


Scion Image version 1.62 software. The images were
then processed using Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and the
Image Processing Tool Kit version 3.0. The length
and aspect ratio (length/diameter) of each filler
was measured. For each formulation, between 1000
and 6000 particles/fibers were measured. Because
of the extremely small size of the carbon black, the
length and aspect ratio of the carbon black was not
measured.

FILLER ORIENTATION TEST METHOD


In order to determine the orientation of the carbon fillers, a polished composite sample was viewed
using an optical microscope. Again, because of the
small size of the carbon black (aggregates 30100 nm
in size), the orientation of only the synthetic graphite
particles and carbon fibers were determined. For
each formulation, one 13 mm by 13 mm square was
cut from a SE sample. This sample was mounted in
epoxy such that the through the sample thickness
(3.2 mm) face could be viewed. The samples were
then polished and viewed using an Olympus BX60
transmitted light microscope at a magnification of
200. Again, the images were collected using Scion
Image version 1.62 software. The images were then
processed using Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and the Image
Processing Tool Kit version 3.0. For each formulation,
the orientation was determined by viewing typically
10006000 particles/fibers.

SURFACE ENERGY TEST METHOD


Surface energies for the three fillers were measured using the Washburn adsorption method.17 The
two components of the total surface energy, a polar and a dispersive component, were determined.18
This analysis was performed using a Kruss Processor
Tensiometer K12 with an FL12 powder cell accessory,
and was carried out by Kruss Laboratory Services in
Charlotte, NC. The total, polar, and dispersive components of the polymer surface energy were determined in the melt phase (to simulate extrusion and
injection molding; 270 C for nylon 6,6 and 288 C
for polycarbonate) using the pendant drop technique by Kruss Laboratory Services (see footnote).
A Kruss Drop Shape Analysis System DSA10 was
used.

Personal communication with Kruss Laboratory Services,


Kruss USA, Charlotte, NC, August 2001.

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

X-RAY PHOTOELECTRIC SPECTROSCOPY


X-ray Photoelectric Spectroscopy (XPS) was used
to determine the surface composition of the various
carbon fillers. Since each element has a unique set
of binding energies, XPS can determine the elements
of the sample surface.
present in the top 50100 A
A Perkin-Elmer PHI 1600 XPS system was used in
an ultra-high vacuum chamber. The ThermocarbTM
TC-300 Specialty Graphite and the Ketjenblack
EC-600 JD samples were pressed into 13-mm diameter wafers, using a hydraulic press. The ThermalGraph DKD X pitch-based carbon fiber was mounted
on the sample holder using double-sided copper
tape.19

Results
FILLER LENGTH AND ASPECT
RATIO RESULTS
Table VI shows the mean length and aspect ratio
(length/diameter) results of the synthetic graphite
particles and carbon fibers for the factorial design
formulations in both polymers after the fillers were
removed via solvent digestion. The values listed under the as received formulation are the length and
aspect ratio of the filler prior to extrusion and injection molding.19,20
The results in Table VI show that there is a significant degradation of the carbon fibers following the extrusion and injection molding steps. The
mean length and aspect ratio of the as received carbon fibers was 167.5 m and 16.75, respectively.
This compares well to the reported vendor literature value which states a 200 m mean carbon fiber
length.16 In the 20 wt % carbon fiber formulation in
nylon 6,6, the fibers now have a mean length of 95 m
(aspect ratio = 9.5). In the nylon-based composites
containing both carbon fibers and synthetic graphite,
the mean length of the fibers was 77 m (aspect ratio = 7.7). The fiber results for the polycarbonatebased composites were similar to those of the nylon composites, with the length decreasing to 82 m
(aspect ratio = 8.2) in the 20 wt % formulation, and
then to a 71 m length (aspect ratio = 7.1) in the
composite containing fibers and synthetic graphite.
Overall, processing reduced the carbon fiber length
and aspect ratio to approximately half of its as received values. These length results are comparable
to those reported by Bigg who showed that carbon

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SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


TABLE VI

Mean Length and Aspect Ratio Results for Factorial Design Formulations19,20
Nylon 6,6

Polycarbonate

Formulation

Length (m)

Aspect Ratio

Length (m)

Aspect Ratio

As received carbon fibers (CF)


As received synthetic graphite (SG)
SG only composites
SG only replicate composites
CF only composites
CF only replicate composites
CF (SGCF composites)
SG (SGCF composites)
CF (SGCF replicate composites)
SG (SGCF replicate composites)

167.5
68.3
74.8
56.0
95.7
94.1
71.7
59.7
82.3
41.9

16.75
1.80
1.68
1.61
9.57
9.41
7.17
1.84
8.23
1.72

167.5
68.3
43.8
49.7
85.7
81.7
71.4
33.6
70.8
33.0

16.75
1.80
1.66
1.70
8.57
8.17
7.14
1.67
7.08
1.67

CB: Carbon black; SG: Synthetic graphite; CF: Carbon fiber.

fiber/nylon 6,6 composites had fiber lengths of approximately 130 m after extrusion and injection
molding.21
Table VI also shows the lengths and aspect ratios
of the synthetic graphite particles (ThermocarbTM
TC-300 Specialty Graphite). Table VI shows that the
length and aspect ratio of the synthetic graphite particles in the composite specimens remain similar to
that of the as received material. This result is likely
due to the relatively small length and aspect ratio
of the as received ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty
Graphite. The as received synthetic graphite has a
mean length of 68 m and a mean aspect ratio of
1.8. In the 30 wt % synthetic graphite formulation in
nylon 6,6, the graphite particles now have a mean
length of 65 m (aspect ratio = 1.65). In the nylonbased composites containing both carbon fibers and
synthetic graphite, the mean length of the synthetic
graphite was 51 m (aspect ratio = 1.78). The results
for the polycarbonate-based composites were similar to those of the nylon composites.

FILLER ORIENTATION RESULTS


As discussed previously, the filler orientation angle was measured by optical microscopy. The angle of interest in these measurements was the deviation of the filler away from the angle of SE measurement. For these measurements, all of the angles
will be between 0 and 90 . An angle of 0 signifies
that the particles/fibers are aligned parallel to the SE
measurement direction. An angle of 90 means that

102

the filler is perpendicular to the SE measurement


direction.
Table VII displays the orientation results (mean,
standard deviation, and number of filler particles/fibers measured) for the composites containing
only synthetic graphite (ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite) and carbon fiber. The mean orientation ranges from approximately 60 to 70 . Hence,
the orientation angle is closer to 90 , indicating that
the fibers/particles are primarily orientated transverse to the SE measurement direction. A photomicrograph showing this filler orientation for a
composite containing 20 wt % ThermocarbTM TC300 Specialty Graphite in polycarbonate is located
elsewhere.22

SURFACE ENERGY AND XPS RESULTS


Table VIII displays the polar and dispersive surface energy components for all the materials used.
The total surface energy for the pure nylon 6,6 was
measured to be 45.92 mJ/m2 in the melt phase.
The pure polycarbonate has a total surface energy
of 38.05 mJ/m2 in the melt phase. The total surface energy of the carbon black was measured to be
21.77 mJ/m2 . The carbon fiber has a total surface
energy of 22.23 mJ/m2 , and the synthetic graphite
has a total surface energy value of 24.00 mJ/m2 .
Since all the filler surfaces are composed of essentially pure carbon which has not been surface treated,
one would expect the surface energy results for these
fillers to be similar.

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


TABLE VII

Single Filler Orientation Results in Nylon 6,6 and Polycarbonate19,20


Orientation ( )
Formulation
Synthetic graphite (wt %)
10
15
20
30
40
Carbon fiber (wt %)
5
10
15
20
30
40

Nylon 6,6

Polycarbonate

58.72 23.92 (n = 733)


60.24 23.48 (n = 2118)
61.55 24.63 (n = 3755)
57.46 25.02 (n = 3784)
58.25 25.72 (n = 3235)

66.47 21.48 (n = 2690)


67.92 20.79 (n = 3173)
66.35 22.34 (n = 5271)
67.20 22.70 (n = 4945)
66.99 22.12 (n = 1180)

72.48 21.30 (n = 831)


71.61 21.83 (n = 2058)
66.45 24.74 (n = 2595)
68.56 22.45 (n = 4183)
63.37 23.81 (n = 4405)
65.11 22.54 (n = 4142)

77.35 17.92 (n = 1636)


69.47 22.14 (n = 1819)
66.54 23.72 (n = 6321)
64.47 24.39 (n = 4599)
61.11 25.02 (n = 4014)
62.26 24.66 (n = 4516)

The surface polarity values (polar surface energy


component/total surface energy) are also given in
Table VIII. These results can be used to determine
which polymer would provide for more complete
dispersion with each of the fillers. Materials that
have similar surface polarity values provide improved dispersion in the composites.23 The results
in Table VIII indicate that the polycarbonate matrix
has a surface polarity more comparable to that of the
carbon fillers; and hence, should provide for a more
complete dispersion of each of the carbon fillers versus nylon 6,6.
Results from the XPS analysis for all three fillers
used are also in Table VIII. Only two elements were
present on the filler surface, carbon and oxygen. This
table shows that, as expected, all the fillers consisted
mainly of carbon. Also, as expected, as the amount

of oxygen present on the filler surface increased, the


polar component of the surface energy increased.

SE RESULTS
The SE for the composites containing only varying
amounts of carbon black in both polymers is shown
in Fig. 2 at 300 and 800 MHz. Each data point shown
in Fig. 2 is the mean of three load samples and one
reference sample tested per formulation. Figure 2
shows that adding carbon black to both resins causes
the SE to increase significantly from 0 dB for the
neat polymer to approximately 22 dB for 10 wt %
(6.6 vol % in nylon, 6.9 vol % in polycarbonate) carbon black in both polymers. The SE results are similar
for both polymers and for both frequencies (300 and
800 MHz).

TABLE VIII

Surface Energy and XPS Resultsa


Material
Zytel 101 NC010
Lexan HF1110-111N
Carbon black
Synthetic graphite
Pitch-based carbon fiber
a

Polar Component Dispersive Component Total Surface


Surface
Oxygen on Filler
(mJ/m2 )
(mJ/m2 )
Energy (mJ/m2 ) Polarity (%) Surface (Atomic %)
17.24
8.55
2.18
3.99
5.47

28.68
29.50
19.59
20.01
16.76

45.92
38.05
21.77
24.00
22.23

37.5
22.5
10.0
16.6
24.6

1.3
1.8
3.7

Ref. 19 and Personal Communication with Kruss Laboratory Services (Kruss USA, Charlotte, NC, August 2001).

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

103

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

25

20

15

10

0
0

Volume % Carbon Black


300 MHz in Nylon 6,6

800 MHz in Nylon 6,6

300 MHz in Polycarbonate

800 MHz in Polycarbonate

FIGURE 2. Shielding effectiveness of composites containing only carbon black.

Shielding Effectiveness
(dB)

Figure 3 shows the SE of the 5 wt % carbon black


(3.2 vol % in nylon, 3.4 vol % in polycarbonate) in
both polymers over the entire frequency range measured. These composites were extruded and injection
molded into test specimens twice; hence, one set is
labeled replicate for each polymer in Fig. 3. From
Fig. 3, one notices that the SE is approximately 2 dB
higher in polycarbonate as compared to nylon.
The SE results for the composites containing only
varying amounts of ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty

Graphite, which is a high purity synthetic graphite,


in both polymers are shown in Fig. 4 at 300 and
800 MHz. Figure 4 shows that adding synthetic
graphite to both resins causes the SE to increase,
but not as much as was evident by adding carbon black. Typically, the SE values at 800 MHz are
slightly higher than what were observed for the
same material at 300 MHz. Once again, the SE of the
polycarbonate-based composite is higher than that
of the nylon-based composite.

18.00
16.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Frequency (MHz)
5 Wt% Carbon Black in Nylon
5 Wt% Carbon Black Replicate in Nylon
5 Wt% Carbon Black in Polycarbonate
5 Wt% Carbon Black Replicate in Polycarbonate

FIGURE 3. Shielding effectiveness of composites containing 5 wt % carbon black in nylon 6,6 and in polycarbonate.

104

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0

10

15

Volume % Thermocarb

20

TM

25

30

Specialty Graphite

300 MHz in Nylon 6,6

800 MHz in Nylon 6,6

300 MHz in Polycarbonate

800 MHz in Polycarbonate

FIGURE 4. Shielding effectiveness of composites containing only ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite.
Figure 5 shows the SE of the 30 wt % ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite (17.9 vol % in nylon, 18.7 vol % in polycarbonate) in both polymers
over the entire frequency range measured. Once
again, one notices that the SE is slightly higher in

polycarbonate as compared to nylon and that the SE


increases as frequency increases.
The SE results for the composites containing only
varying amounts of carbon fiber in both polymers are
shown in Fig. 6 at 300 and 800 MHz. Figure 6 shows

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Frequency (MHz)
30 Wt% Thermocarb TM Specialty Graphite in Nylon
30 Wt% Thermocarb TM Specialty Graphite Replicate in Nylon
30 Wt% Thermocarb TM Specialty Graphite in Polycarbonate
30 Wt% Thermocarb TM Specialty Graphite Replicate in Polycarbonate

FIGURE 5. Shielding effectiveness of composites containing 30 wt % ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite in


nylon 6,6 and in polycarbonate.

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

105

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


20

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0

10

15

20

25

30

Volume % Carbon Fiber


300 MHz in Nylon 6,6

800 MHz in Nylon 6,6

300 MHz in Polycarbonate

800 MHz in Polycarbonate

FIGURE 6. Shielding effectiveness of composites containing only carbon fiber.

that adding carbon fiber to both resins also causes


the SE to increase. For example, at 800 MHz the SE
was 15.5 dB for the 40 wt % carbon fiber in polycarbonate sample as compared to 12.0 dB for 40 wt %
ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite in polycarbonate. Of all the single fillers at 800 MHz, the SE
was the highest at 21.9 dB for the resin containing
10 wt % carbon black in polycarbonate. The observation that adding 10 wt % carbon black produced
a composite with higher SE than that measured on
composites containing 40 wt % carbon fiber is not
surprising since the electrical resistivity (4.90 0.7 
cm for 10 wt % carbon black/polycarbonate; 10.5
1.1  cm for 40 wt % carbon fiber/polycarbonate)
was also lower for the composites containing carbon
black.13
Figure 7 shows the SE of the 20 wt % carbon fiber
(11.7 vol % in nylon, 12.2 vol % in polycarbonate) in
both polymers over the entire frequency range measured. Figures 6 and 7 again show that the SE values
at 800 MHz are slightly higher than what is observed
for the same material at 300 MHz and that the SE of
the polycarbonate-based composites are higher than
that of the nylon-based composites.
The observation of generally increasing SE value
with increasing frequency is expected and has been
noted elsewhere.6 As frequency increases, the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave decreases and

106

becomes more comparable to the size of the filler.


Thus, the higher frequency waves are more likely
to encounter filler embedded in the polymer matrix.
The fillers are more likely to reflect or absorb the
wave, as compared to the polymer rich areas. Hence,
SE increases as frequency increases.
The observation of higher SE in polycarbonate
as compared to nylon is interesting. Several factors (filler length, orientation, and adhesion) could
be involved. Longer filler lengths in polycarbonate
could cause higher composite electrical conductivity, which could cause higher SE results. However,
the filler length data shown in Table VI typically
indicate slightly lower filler lengths in polycarbonate as compared to nylon. The filler orientation results in Table VII indicate similar values for the
polycarbonate- and nylon-based samples. The surface energy results in Table VIII indicate that all three
carbon fillers have a surface polarity value closer to
that of the polycarbonate (as compared to nylon).
Hence, the polycarbonate, having a surface polarity which is more comparable to that of the carbon
fillers, should provide for more complete dispersion
of the filler in the conductive resin. It is speculated
that this increased dispersion of the carbon fillers in
the polycarbonate causes the SE to be higher.
Table IX shows the mean SE and standard deviation for each factorial design formulation for

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Frequency (MHz)
20 Wt% Carbon Fiber in Nylon
20 Wt% Carbon Fiber Replicate in Nylon
20 Wt% Carbon Fiber in Polycarbonate
20 Wt% Carbon Fiber Replicate in Polycarbonate

FIGURE 7. Shielding effectiveness of composites containing 20 wt % carbon fiber in nylon 6,6 and in polycarbonate.
the nylon-based resins. Table X gives the SE results for each factorial design formulation for the
polycarbonate-based resins. A complete replicate of
the full factorial was completed in each resin. Hence,
TABLE IX
Shielding Effectiveness Results at 300 and 800 MHz
for Factorial Design Formulations in Nylon 6,6
Mean
Shielding Effectiveness (dB) Shielding
Effectiveness
(dB)
Formulation
Original
Replicate
300 MHz
No filler
0.03 0.05
CB
7.35 0.23
SG
1.30 0.06
CBSG
23.11 0.40
CF
2.32 0.16
CBCF
21.00 0.45
SGCF
10.08 0.06
CBSG CF 42.63 0.32
800 MHz
No filler
0.10 0.04
CB
7.17 0.20
SG
2.22 0.04
CBSG
23.11 0.10
CF
4.24 0.28
CBCF
20.88 0.40
SGCF
13.08 0.17
CBSGCF 42.44 0.83

0.07 0.19
7.42 0.03
1.74 0.08
22.90 0.26
2.34 0.17
20.19 0.36
12.81 0.23
40.88 0.40

0.05
7.39
1.52
23.01
2.33
20.60
11.45
41.76

0.07 0.05
7.18 0.01
3.04 0.17
23.09 0.23
4.25 0.13
19.89 0.15
15.34 0.17
42.01 0.32

0.09
7.18
2.63
23.10
4.25
20.39
14.21
42.23

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

there is a column labeled Original and Replicate.


These columns show the mean and standard deviation. For each formulation, three load specimens
and one reference sample were tested. As stated previously, Table IV defines the factorial design formulations in both polymers.
TABLE X
Shielding Effectiveness Results at 300 and 800 MHz
for Factorial Design Formulations in Polycarbonate
Mean
Shielding
Shielding Effectiveness (dB)
Effectiveness
(dB)
Formulation Original
Replicate
300 MHz
No filler 0.10 0.00 0.07 0.06
CB
10.19 0.25 10.43 0.15
SG
3.03 0.21 3.23 0.31
CBSG 27.87 0.26 28.37 0.89
CF
3.10 0.10 3.43 0.06
CBCF 27.07 0.06 26.77 0.32
SGCF 16.95 0.15 17.83 0.35
800 MHz
No filler
0.00 0.00 0.03 0.06
CB
10.73 0.21 10.83 0.25
SG
5.27 0.32 5.60 0.44
CBSG 27.60 0.10 27.70 0.30
CF
5.43 0.12 5.87 0.06
CBCF 26.10 0.10 26.33 0.06
SGCF 18.70 0.10 19.40 0.30

0.09
10.31
3.13
28.12
3.27
26.92
17.39
0.02
10.78
5.44
27.65
5.65
26.22
19.05

107

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


50.00
45.00

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

40.00
35.00
30.00
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Frequency (MHz)
Nylon

Carbon Black

Synthetic Graphite

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Black + Synthetic Graphite

Carbon Black + Carbon Fiber

Synthetic Graphite + Carbon Fiber

Carbon Black + Synthetic Graphite + Carbon Fiber

FIGURE 8. Shielding effectiveness results for the nylon 6,6-based factorial design formulations.
Figure 8 shows the mean SE for the nylon-based
factorial design formulations over the entire range
of frequencies measured. Figure 9 shows the mean
SE for the polycarbonate-based factorial design formulations over the entire range of frequencies measured. Several observations can be made by studying
the results in Tables IX and X and in Figs. 8 and
9. First, for the same formulation, the SE at 300
and 800 MHz are similar. Second, for the same formulation, the original and replicate SE values are
similar. Third, for each formulation with the same
concentration of filler, the SE is slightly higher for
the polycarbonate-based resins as compared to the
nylon-based resins. Fourth, the composite containing all three fillers in nylon at 800 MHz had a SE
of 42 dB, which is higher than the any resin containing only one filler (maximum SE in nylon with
single filler was 10 wt % carbon black at 21 dB).
While it is apparent that the combinations of fillers
produces higher conductivity results, the exact effect of the combinations is not obvious without
the application of statistical experimental design
calculations.

FACTORIAL DESIGN ANALYSIS: SE


Using the results shown in Tables IX and X, an
analysis of the factorial design was completed. This
was performed using the Minitab version 13 Statis-

108

tical Software package. Calculations were also performed using Microsoft Excel 2000 so as to verify and
understand the results obtained with the Minitab
calculations. For this analysis, the effects and P values for the SE results were calculated. For all statistical calculations, the 95% confidence level was
used.
Factorial designs were used in the project since
they are the most efficient type of experiment to determine the effect of each filler and any possible interactions between fillers. By using factorials, one can
determine the effect that each factor (filler) has on
the system by calculating a single value to quantify
the change in SE as the weight percent of a filler is increased. These calculated effects can then be ranked
to determine which fillers and combinations of fillers
produced a larger change.24
The effects and P values for the nylon 6,6-based
composites are given in Table XI, showing the values for all of the filler combinations. Further investigation of Table XI yields some important information regarding the effects that fillers have on SE at
300 and 800 MHz. First, all the effect terms are positive, which indicates that the addition of any filler
increases the SE of the composite. Second, the effects and P values are similar for 300 and 800 MHz.
Third, the effect term is the largest for carbon black,
which indicates that carbon black causes the largest
increase in composite SE. Fourth, the effect terms for

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


30.00

Shielding Effectiveness (dB)

25.00

20.00

15.00

10.00

5.00

0.00
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Frequency (MHz)
Polycarbonate

Carbon Black

Synthetic Graphite

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Black + Synthetic Graphite

Carbon Black + Carbon Fiber

Synthetic Graphite + Carbon Fiber

FIGURE 9. Shielding effectiveness results for the polycarbonate-based factorial design formulations.
TABLE XI
Factorial Design Analysis for Nylon 6,6-Based Conductive Resins at 300 and 800 MHz
Term
300 MHz
CB
SG
CF
CB SG
CB CF
SG CF
CB SG CF
800 MHz
CB
SG
CF
CB SG
CB CF
SG CF
CB SG CF

Effect

19.37
11.87
11.07
6.52
4.91
3.27
0.50

0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.269

17.93
12.57
12.02
6.31
4.15
3.33
0.38

0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.286

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

synthetic graphite and carbon fiber are similar, and


they cause the second largest effect on SE. After
synthetic graphite/carbon fiber, the effect of the
fillers follows the following order: the combination
of carbon black and synthetic graphite, the combination of carbon black and carbon fiber, and last
the combination of synthetic graphite and carbon
fiber. All the single fillers and two filler interactions
are statistically significant at the 95% confidence
level (P < 0.05). The three filler interaction (carbon
black/synthetic graphite/carbon fiber) is not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
The statistically significant results for all the two
filler interactions show that there is an effect on SE
when different fillers are combined. In this case,
a statistically significant interaction term indicates
that the composite SE is higher than what would
be expected from the additive effect of each single
filler.24 For example, the most significant interaction
was that of synthetic graphite/carbon black. This
means that, for example, when synthetic graphite
and carbon black were combined and added to nylon, then the SE of the composite increased more

109

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS


than what would be expected from the individual additive effect of synthetic graphite and carbon
black.
Table XII shows the results of the factorial design
analysis for the polycarbonate-based composites at
300 and 800 MHz. Once again, the effects and P values are similar for 300 and 800 MHz. In addition,
as was the case for nylon, carbon black causes the
largest increase in composite SE, followed by synthetic graphite and carbon fiber, which once again
have similar effect values. The rest of the statistically
significant effects, in order of their ability to increase
SE of the composite, are the combination of carbon
black and synthetic graphite, the combination of carbon black and carbon fiber, and last the combination
of synthetic graphite and carbon fiber. All of these
fillers and combinations of fillers are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level (P < 0.05). These
results agree with what was obtained for the nylonbased composites.
One important result from this study is that the
combinations of two different carbon fillers, namely,
carbon black and synthetic graphite, carbon black
and carbon fiber, and synthetic graphite and carbon
fiber were statistically significant. The fact that all
the two filler interaction terms were significant indicates that the composite SE is higher than what
would be expected from the additive effect of each
single filler.24 To the authors knowledge, this is the
first time in the literature that a synergistic effect of

TABLE XII
Factorial Design Analysis for Polycarbonate-Based
Conductive Resins at 300 and 800 MHz
Term
300 MHz
CB
SG
CF
CB*SG
CB*CF
SG*CF
800 MHz
CB
SG
CF
CB SG
CB CF
SG CF

110

Effect

24.32
15.97
15.44
7.30
6.63
5.46

0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000

21.39
15.14
14.53
5.73
4.90
3.99

0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000

combining different carbon fillers on the composite


SE has been observed. It is likely that conductive
pathways are formed that link the high surface
area carbon black, synthetic graphite particles, and
carbon fibers.

Conclusions
As a result of this study, the following conclusions
can be made:
Extrusion and injection molding reduced the
length and aspect ratio of the carbon fiber in
the conductive composites to approximately
half of its original length (168 m) and aspect ratio (16.8). However, the length (typically 6070 m) and aspect ratio (typically
1.71.8) of the ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty
Graphite in the composite specimens remain
similar to that of the as received material.
This high purity synthetic graphite likely maintained its size better as compared to carbon
fiber since the as received ThermocarbTM TC300 material has a smaller length and aspect
ratio.
For the SE samples, the synthetic graphite particles and carbon fibers are mainly oriented transverse to the direction of SE measurement.
By studying the SE factorial experiment results
in both nylon and polycarbonate, several
conclusions can be made at the 95% confidence level for both polymers. First, carbon black caused the largest increase in SE,
followed by ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty
Graphite and carbon fiber, which have a
similar effect. Adding two different fillers
also causes SE to increase in the following
order:
Carbon Black/ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty
Graphite> Carbon Black/Carbon Fiber> ThermocarbTM TC-300 Specialty Graphite /Carbon Fiber

To the authors knowledge, this is the first


time in the literature that a synergistic effect of
combining different carbon fillers on composite
SE has been observed. It is likely that conductive pathways are formed that link the high
surface area carbon black, synthetic graphite
particles, and carbon fibers, which results in
improved composite SE.

VOL. 22, NO. 2

SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN NYLON 6,6- AND POLYCARBONATE-BASED RESINS

Acknowledgments
The authors thank Conoco, Akzo Nobel,
BP/Amoco, and DuPont for providing polymers
and carbon fillers.

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ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

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111

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