Effect of a coupling agent on the electromagnetic and mechanical properties of carbon black/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene composites

Titanate coupling agent (TCA) is widely used as a plasticizer in filled polymer processes. In this study, the effect of TCA with different contents (2 and 10 wt %) on the electrical conductivity, wave absorption, and mechanical properties of carbon black (CB)/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) composites were investigated. The results indicate that with the addition of 2 wt % TCA to the filled CB, the electrical conductivity of CB/ABS composites improved greatly, but its wave absorption performance was weakened. In contrast, the addition of 10 wt % TCA to the filled CB improved the microwave absorption performance of the CB/ABS composites but led to poor electrical conductivity. However, TCA, regardless of the contents of 2 or 10 wt %, greatly improved the mechanical properties of the composites. The probable reasons for this are discussed on the basis of the fracture morphology of the sample, a chemical band between the filling and resin, and the physical coating between the filling and TCA. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1839–1843, 2006