Influence of irradiation conditions on the electrical behavior of polyethylene-carbon black conductive composites

The temperature-dependent resistivity behavior of carbon black–loaded polyethylene (PE) composites irradiated both at room temperature and 170°C above the PE melting point was studied. The irradiation doses were varied. At a given loading level, irradiation at room temperature corresponded to an energy treatment on a low-resistive, solid, three-phase composite system, while at a high temperature it corresponded to a treatment on high-resistive, viscous, two-phase system. The irradiation condition had a complicated influence on the electrical response to temperature. The resulting composite structure was analyzed by using differential scanning calorimetry, gel fraction, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The results were then discussed by comparing them with those of the unirradiated sample.