Structural and Electrical Properties of Graphite Platelet Films Deposited on Low-Density Polyethylene Substrate

Uniform conductive films composed of graphite platelets (GPs) were obtained by spraying a commercial graphite lacquer on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) substrates. According to the scanning electron microscopy investigation and X-ray diffraction analysis, the deposited films are composed of crystalline graphite platelets with an average size of 13.6 nm. The thermoresistive behavior of the GP film on LDPE samples was investigated from 20 to 120 °C. The resistance of the samples increases considerably in the 20-100 °C range and decreases sharply for temperatures above 100 °C. This behavior could be ascribed to the thermal properties of the polymer substrate. Results show that promising materials for thermoresistive applications in flexible electronics can be obtained by combining dielectric polymeric substrates with coatings based on graphite platelets.