Frequency‐Dependent Electrical Conductivity in Polymer Nanocomposites Based on the Impacts of Dispersion Quality and Polymer/Particle Interphase

ABSTRACT In this study, the impact of frequency variation on the alternative electrical conductivity of the polymer nanocomposites was comprehensively investigated. To this end, a novel analytical model was primarily developed to approximate the direct electrical conductivity of the system containing spherical nanoparticles by employing excluded volumes (EVs) as the elements of a specifically designed equivalent box model (EBM). The undeniable role of polymer/particle interphase inside the EVs was accordingly introduced using a developed scaling theory. Also, Torquanto's model was used to approximate the electrical conductivity of nanoparticle clusters. The alternative electrical conductivity of the polymer nanocomposite, as a function of frequency variation, was modeled using the developed form of the percolation theory. The results of each modeling stage were verified against the valid data obtained from the literature. The comparative studies revealed that the model was quite accurate and reliable under different circumstances, such as the variation of the curing characteristics of the samples or the application of different‐shaped nanoparticles in the system. It was also found that breaking down the frequency range into smaller intervals could substantially elevate the model accuracy in the case of systems with inherent complex internal interactions.