Conductivity of carbon black-PE composites as a function of temperature and UV aging

We performed a study of mechanisms related to ac electrical conductivity of virgin and aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) loaded with different concentrations of carbon black (CB). Experimental ac conductivity measurements were carried out at different temperatures on samples with different CB concentrations. Scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal expansion measurements were used as auxiliary techniques in this study. We also investigated the aging effect of UV radiation on the electrical properties of the samples. Based on the distribution of the CB in the polyethylene matrix, the ac conductivity is explained in terms of the hopping mechanism considering the material as a system where the energy potential barriers are distributed randomly in the bulk of the material.