ABSTRACT A carbon nanotube (CNT) interconnected network model is proposed to evaluate the electrical properties of polymer nanocomposites through a resistor‐inspired approach. The model is able to control morphological characteristics of CNTs such as length, degree of orientation, and waviness, and then analyze their impact on the effective electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites. An algorithm based on stochastic elements to generate, identify, and analyze interconnected CNTs networks by assigning equivalent electrical resistances is developed. For each case, electrical resistance values were assigned to the CNT network considering CNT‐CNT contact, electron tunneling, and intrinsic conduction mechanisms. The model was able to identify and correlate the impact of each type of CNT‐CNT interactions (direct contact/tunneling) on the global electrical properties, confirming the tunneling mechanism as the main driver at the electrical percolation stage. Longer, straighter, and moderately aligned CNTs generate nanocomposites with more electrical pathways. The model is capable to adequately predict experimental reports, evidencing its relevance for the optimization of CNT‐based nanocomposites for technological applications.
Ayala‐Ruano et al. (Fri,) studied this question.