High Performance Thermoplastic Composites: Study on

the Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Resistivity

Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced
Polyetheretherketone and Polyethersulphone

Anjum Saleem, Lars Frormann, Azhar Iqbal

Institut fur Polymerwerkstoffe und Kunststofftechnik, Technische Universitat Clausthal, Agricola Str. 6, 38678
Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany

High temperature processing thermoplastic polymers,

polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyethersulphone
(PES), were melt blended with carbon bers (CFs) to
make composites. These composites were investigated
for their mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties.
Mechanical properties that are expressed in terms of
storage modulus, loss, and damping were enhanced
with the addition of CFs. Thermal properties were determined by DSC and TGA. These methods help to understand the effects of ber content and bermatrix adhesion in the composites. Composites were also tested for
their electrical and thermal conductivity because CFs
leave the composites thermally and electrically conductive. CFs enhanced the crystallinity of the PEEK appreciably that in turn inuenced thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and the stiffness of PEEK/CF
(composites of PEEK with CFs). PES/CF (composites of
PES with CF) shows a different behavior due to the
amorphous nature of PES. The work involves one ller
and two different matrices, and so it provides an interesting comparison of how matrix morphology can inuence the properties of composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 28:
785796, 2007. 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers

INTRODUCTION
More and more requirements in nearly all applications
address the need for high temperature resistance and high
strength. Polymers that can fulll these requirements are
grouped together as high temperature resins. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyethersulphone (PES) are two
representative members of this group of polymers. PES is a
high temperature amorphous thermoplastic polymer having
all the strengths and weaknesses of an amorphous polymer.
PEEK on the other hand is a high temperature semicrystal-

Correspondence to: Prof. Dr. Lars Frormann; e-mail: lars.frormann@

tu-clausthal.de
Contract grant sponsor: AiF, Germany.
DOI 10.1002/pc.20297
Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
2007 Society of Plastics Engineers

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

line thermoplast whose crystalline nature admits it to the

orientation processes to provide high strength and chemical
resistance. The success of these resins is mainly due to the
molecular rigidity of the repeat unit [1, 2]. Both resins can
be compression molded, extruded, or injection molded using conventional equipment and have high processing temperature (up to 300C).
Thermoplasts are attractive for high strain to break, indenite shelf life, ability to thermoform, and light weight,
etc. But the problem is they lack strength. Conventional
engineering materials, metals, and their alloys are strong
and tough, but not light. The reinforcement of thermoplastics with the high modulus bers to improve strength and
rigidity has been in practice from many years. PES and
PEEK have the excellent properties of the thermoplasts and
also they offer a high strength over a wide temperature
range. To maximize the usefulness of these resins, they are
often available as reinforced composites [3]. However, the
use of these resins is limited by cost and processing concerns. The resins can cost considerably more than the standard commercial resins. Furthermore their high processing
temperature may not be suitable for all plastics-processing
equipment. Still, their high purity, good wear, low ammability, and outstanding physical properties have made them
important components for automatic-transmission and engine parts [4, 5].
Although the majority of ber-reinforced resins contain
glass bers, the attractive properties of carbon bers (CFs)
have made them a material of choice in various applications.
CFs have higher stiffness, excellent electrical and thermal
conductivity, and high resistance to fatigue and creep [6] in
comparison to the glass bers. CF-reinforced composites
have all the ideal properties, leading to their rapid development and successful use for many applications over the last
decade [7].
Present work deals with the study of CF-reinforced composites of PEEK and PES. Mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of these composites have been presented

TABLE 1.

Grade

Source

Density
(g/cm3)

Melting temperature
(C)

Tg (C)

Victrex PEEK 450G

Ultrason E2010

Victrex
BASF

1.3
1.37

340
340390

143
225

Material
Polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK)
Polyether-sulphone (PES)

Characteristics of the polymers.

here. Two different matrices and one ller were used in this
work. So the article provides a comparative study on how
matrix morphology can change the properties of the composites. Composites were analyzed by DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry),
TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), and for their electrical
as well as thermal conductivity properties. The bulk properties of all the composites are very much dependant upon
the matrix, reinforcement, interface, surface properties of
the llers and matrix, crystallinity, size of the spherulites,
and transcrytallinity, etc. [8]. Mechanical properties were
analyzed by monitoring property changes in material with
respect to the temperature by DMA. Thermal analysis was
used to study the effects of ber content and bermatrix
adhesion in the composite. The interaction and adhesion
between the ber and matrix has a signicant effect in
determining the mechanical and physical behavior of the
ber composites [9].
EXPERIMENTAL
Materials
Two polymers were used in this work as matrix material.
Table 1 lists the characteristics of these polymers.
PEEK is a Victrex PEEK 450G and was provided by
Victrex. PEEK is a semicrystalline polymer and the repeat
unit is

As llers, CF were used. Table 2 lists the important

characteristics of this ller. CF were obtained by TOHO
Tenax with grade HTA 5131 with specic electrical resistance 1.6 103 cm, tensile modulus 238 GPa, and
elongation at break 1.7%.
Sample Preparation
The composite components were dry blended in desired
ratios. Their blending was done in a Thermo Haake Rheomix 600 mixing head operating at 50 rpm. The mixing of
PEEK with CF was done at 380C and the mixing of PES
and CF was done at 360C. The components were mixed for
a period of 10 min. The resulting extrudates were milled at
room temperature and then injection molded using an injection molding machine (ARBURG-220S, ALLROUNDER, 150 60). All the samples were dried in an
oven before injection molding at 100C for 3 hr to remove
the moisture. Two types of molds were obtained by the
injection molding machine, round and bone shape. The
dimensions of bones were 30 2 2 mm3 and they were
used for the mechanical analysis. The round samples of 2
mm thickness and 50 mm diameter were used for the
thermal and electrical conductivity measurements.
Instrumentation

PES is an Ultrason E2010 and it was provided by BASF.

It is an amorphous polymer with high thermal durability.
This polymer is resistant to boiling water, chemical corrosion as well as ignition and can be easily adapted for
processing. Its repeat unit is

TABLE 2.

Material
Carbon bers (CF)

786

Mechanical Analysis. The dynamic mechanical analysis

(DMA) was done by TA Instrument Thermal Analysis and
Rheology DMA-2980 1.7B in single cantilever mode. A
dynamic force of 0.000118 N was used with a frequency of
10 Hz and the amplitude of 20 m. The temperature scan
ranged from 80 to 180C with 2C/min. A constant nitrogen ow of 40 ml/min was used to purge the instrument.

Characteristics of the ller.

Grade

Source

Form

Density
(g/cm3)

Diameter
(m)

Length
(mm)

Aspect
ratio

HTA5131

TOHO Tenax

Fiber

1.76

857

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

DOI 10.1002/pc

Small bones were used for the measurement of storage, loss,

and tan moduli as a function of temperature.
The E-moduli were determined by Zwick material testing machine, Z 2.5/TN1S under a speed of 5 mm/min.
Thermogravimetry. Weight loss as a function of temperature was analyzed by TA Instruments, TGA-2950. The
samples weighing 3 8 mg were heated from 0 to 1000C
with 20C/min under a nitrogen purge. The instrument
temperature calibration was performed by using the curie
temperature of various metals according to the manufacturers recommendations.
DSC Analysis. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC) of the composites and pure polymers was done by
TA Instruments, DSC-2920. Samples of 3 mg were placed
and sealed in open aluminum pans. A constant nitrogen ow
of 40 ml/min was used to purge the instrument. The heating
range was from 0 to 390C at a rate of 10C/min. Before
starting each test the instrument was calibrated according to
the manufacturers recommendations
For PEEK composites, degree of crystallinity was calculated by the following way

Xc

Qm Qc
100
mQx

(1)

In this equation, Xc is the degree of crystallinity in percentage, Qm and Qc are the experimentally obtained endothermic melting and exothermic crystallization enthalpies, respectively, m is the experimental weight content of the
PEEK matrix in the composite, and Qx is equal to 130 J/g is
the melting enthalpy value deduced for fully crystallized
PEEK [10].
Electrical Resistivity.
Electrical resistivity was measured by the instrument, Agilent 4339B High Resistance
Meter. This model is designed for measuring very high
resistance and related parameters of insulation materials. All
the measurements were made at 100 mV. The instrument
was calibrated according to manufacturers recommendations before use.
Thermal Conductivity. The thermal conductivity was
measured by an instrument, NETZSCH TCA 200-LT-A as
a function of temperature. This model is a computer-controlled instrument used to measure the thermal conductivity
of materials by the guarded heat ow meter method. The
test sample is placed between two heated surfaces controlled at different temperatures with a heat ow from the
hotter to the colder. The thermal resistance of the interfaces
between the sample and adjacent surfaces is reduced by
applying a coupling agent i.e. silicone heat sink compound.
DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 1. Optical microscope of the injection molded sample of the PEEK

with 35 wt% of CFs and an illustration of the directions in which various
property measurements were taken on an injection molded sample and
explanation of the effect of extrusion on ber length.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Composite Morphology
Figure 1 shows the morphology of the polished surface
(normal direction) of a small portion of the round injection
molded sample of PEEK with 35 wt% of CF. The gure also
shows that the bers are dispersed uniformly within the
matrix and are oriented in the ow direction (FD). The
average length of the CFs has been reduced because extrusion causes the ber breakage.
As the molded specimens are anisotropic, an illustration
of the directions in which various property measurements
were taken is also shown in Fig. 1.
Mechanical Properties
DMA is an excellent technique to measure the properties
of the polymers. It provides information about the ability of
the materials to store and dissipate mechanical energy upon
deformation.
Figure 2a shows the storage modulus as a function of
temperature for pure PEEK and PEEK/CF (composites of
PEEK with CF) and Fig. 3 shows the storage modulus of
pure PES and PES/CF (composites of PES with CF) as a
function of temperature. PEEK is a semicrystalline polymer
and crystallinity makes the polymers stiffer. PEEK shows
good retention of modulus up to its Tg (143C), beyond this
temperature the modulus drops sharply but some rigidity is
maintained up to its melting temperature (340C). PES on
the other hand shows a rapid fall in properties after 210C
with a little strength or rigidity maintained beyond 250C.
Both gures show that the storage modulus increases by
the addition of CF. This is due to the reason that bers are
combined with the matrix and are giving support to the
matrix by reducing the movement of chains [10]. Two
distinct variations of storage modulus with temperature can
be observed in both cases:
POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

787

FIG. 2. (a) Storage modulus of pure PEEK and the composites with CF. (b) Storage modulus of CF-reinforced
PEEK composites after heating above Tg.

788

A sharp drop in storage modulus near 140C in Fig. 3 and

near 220C in Fig. 2.
A reduction in the rate of drop in storage modulus after
170C in Fig. 2 and after 230C in Fig. 3.
The rst drop in the storage is due to the relaxation
associated with the amorphous phase ( relaxation). In
this case, the glassy state of the amorphous phase goes
through its glass transition and there is a sharp drop in the
storage modulus [11]. The reduction in modulus is more
pronounced for pure polymers. The second observation
POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

for a reduction in the rate of drop is due to the softening

of the matrix until the melt region is reached [12].
In Fig. 2a after 160C a rise is observed in storage
modulus. This appears due to cold crystallization. To
conrm this observation some specimens were heated
above Tg till 180C and then were analyzed again and
they showed no rise in storage modulus after 160C (Fig.
2b). With the addition of the bers, the height of these
peaks is increasing that could be due to the tendency of
short bers to enhance the crystallization [13, 14].
DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 3.

Storage modulus of pure PES and the composites with CF.

The loss moduli represent the energy lost during deformation of the polymer. It is related to the viscous portion
of the elastomer. It provides information about the overall
exibility and the interactions between the components of
composite material.
Figure 4 shows the loss modulus for PEEK and PEEK/CF
where relaxation peak is located between 140 and
160C while a peak is located between 165 and 180C
representing cold crystallization. With the increase of the
CF in the matrix, the peaks of loss moduli are becoming
narrow and extended to the higher temperature side. The

FIG. 4.

DOI 10.1002/pc

increase in the peak temperature indicates the decrease in

chain mobility. Peaks are becoming narrow as the ber
content is increasing. This indicates that amorphous portion of the composites is decreasing as the incorporation
of the bers in the matrix considerably enhances stiffness
and strength of the composites.
Furthermore Fig. 5 presents the loss modulus of PES and
PES/CF. There is only relaxation peak located between
220 and 260C because PES is an amorphous polymer.
Glass transition of PES is quite higher than PEEK. This is
because of the sulphone groups present in the chemical

Loss modulus of PEEK and composites with CF.

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

789

FIG. 5.

Loss modulus for PES and composites with CF.

structure of PES that make it so stiff. Relaxation peaks in

PES/CF are also shifting to the higher temperature indicating a good association between the ber and the matrix.
tan is the indicative of the materials ability to dissipate
energy. tan is equal to loss modulus/storage modulus.
The relaxation peak is located at 240C for PES (Fig. 7)
and at 150C for PEEK (Fig. 6). Peak temperature is an
indicative of the Tg of the matrix. Maximum heat dissipation occurs at this temperature. Figure 6 shows tan for
PEEK and PEEK/CF. When bers are added to the matrix

FIG. 6.

790

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

and the crystallinity is increased, peaks become lowered

and spread out. Nucleation of the crystallization of matrix
by the bers can provide transverse crystals in the bulk of
the matrix. These transcrystalline regions further enhance
the adhesion between matrix and llers [15]. So reduction
in peak heights indicates the good interfacial bonding and
a decrease in the chain mobility. PES/CF also shows the
same results (Fig. 7) but peaks are not as lowered as they
are in the case of PEEK. It means that the modulus of the
crystalline polymers increase a lot by the addition of the
bers and this is obvious by the results.

Tan of PEEK and composites with CF.

DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 7.

Tan of PES and the composites with CF.

E-moduli that are measured in the FD are presented in

Fig. 8. E-modulus of pure PEEK is higher than PES.
Addition of CF increases the E-modulus signicantly in
both polymers. However, E-modulus of PEEK composites is lower than the E-modulus of PES composites. This

FIG. 8.

DOI 10.1002/pc

behavior could be attributed to the increased crystallinity

of PEEK by the addition of CF that makes the composites
brittle [16, 27]. PES is an amorphous polymer and so it
has more ability to bend without breaking as compare to
PEEK i.e. it is tougher than PEEK.

E-moduli of the composites of PEEK and PES with CF.

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

791

FIG. 9.

DSC thermogram of PEEK and the composites of PEEK with CF.

Thermal Properties
Figure 9 shows the DSC thermograms of PEEK and
PEEK/CF. These curves are the rst heating scans of the
matrix and the composites. At 140C plots shift upward.
This indicates the approach of the glass transition point of
the polymer and composites. Figure also shows one exothermic peak between 150 and 175C, and an endothermic
peak between 300 and 350C [17]. The exothermic peaks
appear due to the cold crystallization. In semicrystalline
polymers, above Tg, when chains have a lot of mobility,
they wiggle and squirm and try to gain enough energy to
move into very ordered arrangements. When chains are in
these crystalline arrangements they give off heat and an
exotherm can be seen in the DSC curve. Temperature at the
lowest point of this exothermic dip is called crystallization
temperature Tc and it is an indication that the material can
crystallize. For PEEK/CF this temperature lies between 150
and 160C. When heating is continued past Tc then an
endothermic peak can be seen. This peak indicates the
disappearance of the crystals [18]. Chains come out of their
ordered arrangement and begin to move around freely. The
peak temperature is the melting temperature (Tm) of the
material. For PEEK and PEEK/CF this temperature lies
between 340 and 350C. Both crystallization and melting
peaks are decreasing by the addition of bers, indicating an
effective association between ller and matrix. The percent
crystallinity calculated for pure PEEK, PEEK with 10% CF,
and PEEK with 35% CF is 10, 16, and 17%, respectively, by
DSC. It seems percentage of crystallinity is increasing by
the addition of bers. However, from rst heating scans of
the composites, it is not possible to have some nal statement about the effect of bers on crystallinity. But the
previous work of several authors has been reported that the
792

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

quality and quantity of crystallization depends upon the

thermal history and ber characteristics (length, content, or
type). CF have a tendency to nucleate the crystallization
process of PEEK under favorable thermal conditions [14,
28]. The effect of thermal history and ber characteristics
on the crystallinity of composites will be presented in future
work.
The DSC thermogram for PES/CF are presented in Fig.
10. PES is an amorphous polymer. That is any crystallization peak or any sharp melting peak cannot be found [19].
The curve rises near 213C, indicating the approach of the
glass transition temperature. Melting of the polymer is not
signicantly inuenced by the addition of the ller [20]. In
this case we cannot develop any solid conclusion about the
effect of llers on the melting temperature of the composites.
Thermogravimetric curves of the neat polymers and the
composites are very much in agreement with other results.
Figure 11 shows that the weight loss has reduced signicantly by the addition of bers as compare to the pure
PEEK. Semicrystalline nature of PEEK and increase of this
crystallinity with the addition of bers give a lot of strength
to the composites. However Fig. 12 shows the weight loss
as a function of temperature for the pure PES and PES/CF.
It is quite obvious that the bers are more efcient in
reducing weight loss in the case of PEEK than in PES
composites. This is due to the lack of crystallinity in PES.

Electrical Resistivity
Presence of CFs render the polymers electrically conductive. Figure 13 shows the electrical resistivity, which is the
inverse of conductivity, of pure PEEK, PES, and their
DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 10.

DSC thermogram of PES and the composites of PES with CF.

CF-reinforced composites. For PEEK composites a percolation threshold is observed near 35 wt% CF loading. A
sudden decrease in resistivity is observed at this point. For
PES composites a percolation threshold is observed near 10
wt% ller loading.
At lower ller loadings, ller particles act like conductive islands in a sea of electrically insulating polymer. As
more particles are introduced, the conductive particles become more crowded and are more likely to come in contact
with each other. At percolation threshold, a majority of ller

FIG. 11.

DOI 10.1002/pc

particles are in contact with at least two of their nearest

neighbors, thereby forming a continuous conductive chain
or network. An electrical charge now can ow without
encountering the high resistance polymer resin. At percolation threshold, the volume resistivity decreases sharply like
a jump function, but beyond percolation concentration additional ller loading does not greatly reduce the resistance
of the composite [21, 25, 26]. In PEEK composites the
formation of conducting network is not as easily as in the
case of PES composites, and this might be due to the

TGA curves of PEEK and the composites with CF.

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

793

FIG. 12.

TGA curves of PES and composites of PES with CF.

presence of crystallinity in PEEK that is not there in PES

[24]. So we see a percolation at higher ller loading in
PEEK/CF than in PES/CF.
Thermal Conductivity
CFs are very effective and common llers that are used
to increase the thermal conductivity of the composites [21].

FIG. 13.

794

Figure 14 shows the thermal conductivity of PEEK and its

composites with CF. Thermal conductivity is increasing
with temperature as well as with increasing ller concentration. It can be observed that thermal conductivity increased signicantly at the lower ller loading but at higher
loadings after 20 wt% CF the increase is not so high. This
could be due to the increased crystallinity at these concen-

Electrical resistivity of the composites of PEEK and PES with CF at room temperature.

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 14.

Thermal conductivity of PEEK and the composites with CF.

trations. Mathis [22] shows for his data a linear relationship

between thermal conductivity and Youngs modulus. Thermal conductivity is very sensitive to the orientation, crystal
fraction, and the degree of crystal perfection [22]. However,
the discussion about the orientation of crystals and amorphous segments is beyond the scope of this work.

FIG. 15.

DOI 10.1002/pc

Figure 15 gives the thermal conductivity of PES and its

composites with CF. There is a continuous increase of
thermal conductivity with the increase of ller and the
increase of temperature [19]. Thermal conductivity of the
specimens was measured in the normal direction. CFs are
more efcient in increasing thermal conductivity in PES

Thermal conductivity of PES and its composites with CF.

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

795

composites than in PEEK composites. The reason could be

the presence of crystal fractions and orientations in PEEK
that hinder the establishment of a network for conductivity.
CONCLUSION
The work deals with the study of the effect of CFs on the
mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of two polymers, semicrystalline PEEK, and amorphous PES. Composites were prepared by melt compounding. CFs were used as
llers.
Storage modulus showed a signicant increase with the
increasing amount of the llers. This was due to the reason
that the llers allowed stress transfer. The loss modulus
peaks became lower and shifted to higher temperatures
indicating the improved llermatrix adhesion. DSC thermograms are also supporting DMA results. Melting peaks
have lowered by the addition of llers because of the good
association between matrix and reinforcement. For
PEEK/CF exothermic peaks are indicating the cold crystallization.
Addition of CF makes the composites electrically conductive. So we can observe a percolation threshold in the
case of both llers. For PEEK/CF this threshold lies near 35
wt% of CF, while for PES/CF this threshold lies near 10
wt% of CP. Percolation threshold indicates the presence of
conductive bridges in the composites.
Thermal conductivity was measured as a function of
temperature and ller concentration. It was observed that
thermal conductivity increases both with the increase of
temperature and the ller concentration.
PES and PEEK are high temperature processing engineering polymers. Their properties can be improved significantly by the addition of CFs. Presence of CFs give a lot of
strength to the PEEK composites but on the other hand
increased crystallinity renders these composites brittle. PES
composites have more toughness i.e. ability to bend without
breaking and better thermal conductivity due to the lack of
crystallinity but have less strength. These composites are
used in practical applications with a control of their properties according to the requirement. They offer an unrivalled
selection of properties to the design engineers.

REFERENCES
1. J.M. Cowie, Chemistry and Physics of Modern Materials,
Chapin-Hall, New York, 350 (1991).
2. A. Tregub, V.P. Privalko, H.G. Kilian, and G. Marom, Appl.
Compos. Mater., 1, 167 (1991).
3. O.B. Searle and R.H. Pfeiffer, Polym. Eng. Sci., 25, 474
(1985).

796

POLYMER COMPOSITES2007

4. J.M. Park, E.M. Chong, W.G. Shin, S.I. Lee, D.J. Yoon, and
J.H. Lee, Polymer (Korea), 20, 753 (1996).
5. N. Duret, H. Cotten, and C. Lacabanne, J. Appl. Polym. Sci.,
76, 320 (2000).
6. B.H. Seo, J.C. Young, J.R. You, K. Chung, and T.J. Kang,
Polym. Compos., 26, 791 (2005).
7. J.B. Donnet, T.K. Wang, S. Rebouillat, and J.C.M. Peng,
Carbon Fibers, 3rd ed., Marcel Dekker, New York, 463
(1998).
8. J. Wang, J. Cao, Y. Ke, Z. Wu, and Z. Mo, J. Appl. Polym.
Sci., 61, 1999 (1996).
9. H. Hatakeyama and F.X. Quinn, Thermal Analysis, Wiley,
England (1999).
10. A. Pothan, Z. Oomen, and S. Thomas, Compos. Sci. Technol.,
63, 283 (2003).
11. A. Reyna, S. Kaliaguine, and M. Bousmina, J. Appl. Polym.
Sci., 99, 756 (2005).
12. R. Anand, F. Daniel, M. Nicole, and C. Craig, in The Fifth
International Conference on WoodberPlastic Composites,
Thermal and Mechanical Analysis of Lignocellulosic
Polypropylene Composites, Madison, Wisconsin, May
26 27 (1999).
13. N. Korbakov, H. Harel, Y. Feldman, and G. Marom, Macromol. Chem. Phys., 203, 2267 (2002).
14. Y. Lee and R.S. Porter, Polym. Eng. Sci., 26, 633 (1986).
15. T. Stern, A. Teishev, and G. Marom, Compos. Sci. Technol.,
57, 1009 (1997).
16. J.M. Park and D.S. Kim, Polym. Compos., 21, 789 (2000).
17. H. Gupta and R. Salovey, Polym. Eng. Sci., 30, 453 (2004).
18. S. Houshyar, R.A. Shanks, and A. Hodzic, Appl. Polym. Sci.,
96, 2260 (2005).
19. L. Frormann, A.I. Iqbal, A. Saleem, and M. Ishaq, Polym.
Compos., in press.
20. S. Bhattacharya, Metal Filled Polymers, Marcel Dekker, New
York (1986).
21. W. Thongruang, R.J. Spontak, and C.M. Balik, Polymer, 43,
3717 (2002).
22. N.E. Mathis, Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity Anisotropy in Polymer Materials, PhD Thesis, Department of the
chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB Canada (1996).
23. J.W. Ellis and J.J. Picot, Polym. Eng. Sci., 40, 1619 (2000).
24. T.W. Giants, IEEE Trans. Dielectrics Insul., 1, 991 (1994).
25. L. Frormann, in WerkstoffwocheKongress fur innovative
Werkstoffe, Verfahren und Anwendungen, Internationales
Congress Center, Munchen, September 2123 (2004).
26. L. Frormann, S. Lehmann, R. Noske, and P. Strauch, in
Green-Tech 2005International Conference on Sustainable
and Renewable Raw Materials, Potsdam, Germany, February
23 (2005).
27. D.J. Blundell and B.N. Osborn, Polymer, 24, 953 (1983).
28. J.R. Sarasua, P.M. Remiro and J. Pouyet, Polym. Compos., 17,
468 (1996).

DOI 10.1002/pc