Effect of graphite sizes and carbon black content on flowability of the injection molded conductive composite material

¹ Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Bung Hatta University, Padang, Indonesia
² Dept. of Mechanic and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: jmahyoedin@yahoo.com

Abstract

This study is to investigate the flowability of the injection molded conductive composite material containing filler content from 70 up to 80 wt% by using spiral mold. Several moulding compounds, containing polypropylene (PP) as a matrix and graphite (G) and carbon black (CB) as conductive fillers prepared by melt compounding using twin-screw extruder. Carbon black is added as much as 10% and 20% respectively, in order to improve the electrical conductivity of composite material. Results show that the flowability of injection molded conductive composite material decreases with decreasing graphite size and with increasing filler (graphite and carbon black) content. It was found that composites containing G with particle size distribution (≤100 μm) entirely exhibits a relatively higher flowability, in the range of 10.67–6.21 cm, compared to the small size (25-60 μm), in which flowability is in the range of 5.23–3.37 cm. An attempt to combine carbon black as second filler with the PP and G found that composites containing CB showed decreased flowability of the injection molded conductive composite material, especially when the electrical conductivity formed through the resin. Results indicate that the flowability of the injection molded conductive composite material is an important design parameter to fabricate cost-effective, large, or thin composite bipolar plates.