Electrically conductive polymer composite compositions, method for making, and method for electrical conductivity enhancement

A method of making an electrically conductive polymer composite composition comprising:

• (A) an organic polymer matrix;
• (B) an electrically conductive filler;
• and
• (C) a conductivity enhancing agent comprising calcium stearate;
• said method comprising mixing components (A), (B) and (C) under melt processing conditions,
• said organic polymer matrix (A) comprising polyphenylene ether structural units corresponding to structure I
• wherein R1-R4 are independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C10 alkyl, C4-C20 aryl, or C4-C20 cycloalkyl;
• and
• polyamide structural units corresponding to structure II or III
• wherein R5 and R6 are independently C1-C20 alkylene, C4-C20 arylene, or C5-C20 cycloalkylene, and R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen, C1-C20 alkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C7 -C21, aralkyl, or C5-C20 cycloalkyl, R9 is C1-C20 alkylene, C4-C20 arylene, or C5-C20 cycloalkylene, and R10 is C1-C20 alkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C7-C21 aralkyl, or C5-C20 cycloalkyl;
• said electrically conductive filler (B) comprising carbon fibrils,
• said component (A) being present in an amount between about 50 and about 99.9 percent, said component (B) being present in an amount between about 0.1 and about 20 percent and said component (C) being present in an amount between about 0.001 and about 10 percent, based on the total weight of the composition.

A method of enhancing the electrical conductivity of an electrically conductive polymer composite composition comprising:

• (A) an organic polymer matrix;
• and
• (B) an electrically conductive filler;
• said method comprising combining components (A) and (B) under melt processing conditions with a conductivity enhancing agent (C) comprising calcium stearate,
• said organic polymer matrix (A) comprising polyphenylene ether structural units corresponding to structure I
• wherein R1-R4 are independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C10 alkyl, C4-C20 aryl, or C4-C20 cycloalkyl;
• and
• polyamide structural units corresponding to structure II or III
• wherein R5 and R6 are independently C1-C20 alkylene, C4-C20 arylene, or C5-C20 cycloalkylene, R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen, C1-C20 alkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C7-C21 aralkyl, or C5-C20 cycloalkyl, R9 is C1-C20 alkylene, C4-C20 arylene, or C5-C20 cycloalkylene, and R10 is C1-C20 alkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C7-C21, aralkyl, or C5-C20cycloalkyl;
• said electrically conductive filler (B) comprising carbon fibrils,
• said component (A) being present in an amount between about 50 and about 99.9 percent, said component (B) being present in an amount between about 0.1 and about 20 percent and said component (C) being present in an amount between about 0.001 and about 10 percent, based on the total weight of the composition.

An electrically conductive polymer composite composition comprising:

• (A) an organic polymer matrix comprising poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) in an amount equivalent to about 35 to about 65 weight percent, nylon 6,6 in an amount equivalent to about 65 to about 35 weight percent, and an impact modifier in an amount equivalent to about 5 to about 15 weight percent;
• (B) an electrically conductive filler comprising carbon fibrils in an amount equivalent to from about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent;
• and
• (C) a conductivity enhancing agent comprising calcium stearate in an amount equivalent to about 0.1 and about 2.0 weight percent;
• wherein weight percent refers to the weight percent of the component relative to the total weight of the composition.

A method of preparing an electrically conductive polymer composite composition comprising:

• (A) an organic polymer matrix comprising poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) in an amount equivalent to about 35 to about 65 weight percents nylon 6,6 in an amount equivalent to about 65 to about 35 weight percent, an impact modifier in an amount equivalent to about 5 to about 15 weight percent;
• (B) an electrically conductive filler comprising carbon fibrils in an amount equivalent to about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent;
• and
• (C) a conductivity enhancing agent comprising calcium stearate in an amount equivalent to about 0.1 and about 2.0 weight percent;
• wherein weight percent refers to the weight percent of constituent relative to the total weight of the composition;
• said method comprising combining components (A), (B) and (C) under melt processing conditions.

A method of enhancing the electrical conductivity of an electrically conductive polymer composite composition comprising:

• (A) an organic polymer matrix comprising poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) in an amount equivalent to about 35 to about 65 weight percent, nylon 6,6 in an amount equivalent to about 6 5 to about 3 5 weight percent, an impact modifier in an amount equivalent to about 5 to about 15 weight percent;
• and
• (B) an electrically conductive filler comprising carbon fibrils in an amount equivalent to from about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent;
• wherein weight percent refers to the weight percent of constituent relative to the total weight of the composition;
• said method comprising combining components (A) and (B) with a conductivity enhancing agent comprising calcium stearate in an amount equivalent to about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent calcium stearate based upon the total weight of the composition.