Polymerization in situ by means of radiation gamma for the production of conducting polymeric composites

The nanocomposites synthesis of copper-methyl metacritate is made using copper spheres from 80 to 120 diameter nm, suspended in a methyl metacrilato (MMA) matrix, for different concentrations (5% to 30% of copper-v/v). The polymerization is carried out by means of gamma radiation, with 16 kGy dose applied 'in situ'. A high homogenous samples were obtained. The morphology and formation of the composite was studied by means of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The observed electric resistance is analyzed in function of the distance among electric contacts, meeting a strong dependence of the resistance with the homogeneous distribution of the metal in the composite. The obtained specific resistivities, in function of the concentration of the conductive metal, they are in the order of 42 Ωm for 10% v/v, being this critical concentration, the percolation threshold of the system. The obtained results show a material that is able to conserve principally the mechanical properties of the polymer and the electric properties of the conductive metal (au)