Effect of carbon black contents on polypropylene-based semi-conductive shielding materials for power cables

Polypropylene-based semi-conductive shielding materials have emerged as significant areas of research in recent years. This paper has investigated the influence of carbon black contents on the properties of semi-conductive composites. Four specimens have been prepared that impact-resistant polypropylene as the matrix and conductive carbon black as the filler with varying carbon black mass fractions (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%). The properties of semi-conductive composites have been evaluated including thermal, microstructural, mechanical, and electrical. The findings indicate that carbon black contents significantly influence the mechanical and electrical properties, while its effect on thermal properties are less pronounced. Overall, the semi-conductive composites exhibit optimal properties when the carbon black mass fraction is 30%.