Study of structural, electrical, and dielectric properties of polystyrene/foliated graphite nanocomposite developed via in situ polymerization

Present article reports the investigations of the electrical and dielectric properties of polystyrene/foliated graphite (PS/FG) nanocomposites. The homogenous embedded structure of FG within the polymer matrix has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrical conductivity of the composite was found to exhibit insulator–conductor transition at a very low percolation threshold of FG. A nonlinear to linear transition in the current–voltage characteristics of the composites was observed when the composite undergoes insulator–conductor transition. The frequency dependence of dielectric constant, dissipation factor, and ac conductivity has also been analyzed using percolation theory. D ‐shore hardness of the nanocomposite was also tested to observe the strength of the composites.