Effect of Laser Treatment on the Surface Resistance of Polymer Composites Modified by Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Changes in the surface resistance of polyethylene based composite films modified by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a result of laser treatment are studied. Composites containing uniformly distributed nanotubes throughout their volume are prepared by mechanical melt mixing. The composite surfaces are treated by a 1064 nm fiber laser while varying the pulse duration within the 3-120 ns range and the source power within the 0.6-21 W range, so that the surface energy density during processing is 0.1-18.3 J/cm². The influence of laser treatment parameters on the surface structure of composites is studied by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and the surface resistance is determined using a four-electrode circuit. It is established that the surface resistance of the MWCNT-modified polymer composites can be either decreased by 30-50 times or increased by up to 140 times by tuning the laser treatment parameters.