Percolation Threshold of Carbon Black-Polyethylene Composites

In this paper, the percolation threshold of the carbon black-resin composites is discussed based on the experimental results of the changes in resistivity and relative permittivity for loading carbon black, the electric field dependence of current, and the critical exponent of conductivity. It was found that a formation of infinite clusters is interrupted by a tunneling gap in the volume fraction region of carbon black loading where the change in resistivity is extremely large. It was also found that the critical exponent of conductivity for the universal law of conductivity is satisfied if the percolation threshold is estimated at the volume fraction of carbon black where a nonohmic current behavior changes into an ohmic one. It is concluded that the percolation threshold should be defined at this volume fraction of carbon black.