Improving the antistatic ability of polypropylene fibers by inner antistatic agent filled with carbon nanotubes

A new antistatic fiber was investigated by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to improve the antistatic ability of inner antistatic agents, which bases on the mechanism of attracting moisture by polar radical groups. Composite antistatic agents, prepared by dispersing CNTs in organic antistatic agent, were cospun with polypropylene to prepare antistatic fibers with an inner structure of “sea-island”. The analysis of the measured tribo-electrostatic charges indicated that the antistatic ability of the fibers filled with composite antistatic agent was superior to that of the fibers filled with pure organic antistatic agent. It was also indicated that the antistatic effect promoted by adding CNTs was better than by adding conductive carbon black. The further study showed that antistatic effects promoted by CNTs were enhanced as the diameters and the curvatures of CNT walls were lessened. Moreover, the antistatic effects promoted by the high temperature treated CNTs were also discussed.