ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE | TECHNOLOGY


Driving demand for optimised


electrically conductive plastics Achieving the required electrical conductivity in a polymer while maintaining mechanical properties is the goal of many speciality compounders. Mark Holmes looks at some of the additives available and how they are being used


Applications for electrically conductive compounds can be found in automotive and electrical and electronic devices, through to mining equipment, medical and the HVAC industry. Each has its own particular requirements and is being served by an expanding range of additives designed to deliver the desired conductivity properties. But in all cases expert compounding techniques are required to ensure that electrical conductivity is achieved without drastic loss of mechanical properties. The market for conductive additives and the use


of electrically conductive compounds continues to grow and is set to rise still further. “Currently, conductive additives only account for 2–3% of the overall thermoplastic compounds market,” says


www.compoundingworld.com


Zakhar Bolshakov, Vice-President for Polymers at graphene nanotube manufacturer OCSiAl. “How- ever, the trend is that this share will increase signifi- cantly, with one of the main drivers of growth being e-mobility. If their application technology is signifi- cantly simplified and their use made economically feasible, conductive compounds could definitely have a much broader range of applications.” Cost and performance are the main obstacles,


Bolshakov says. “Current solutions do not fully comply with the existing demand for conductive ad- ditives in terms of their technological development and economic feasibility. For example, the car dashboard is made of various polymer compounds and accumulates a lot of dust on its surface. If this


Main image: Autonomous cars and the increased use of electronics that brings is one factor driving interest in electrically conductive plastics


February 2019 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 27


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


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