Electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites for thermal comfort in electric vehicles

Heating of electric vehicles places high demands on the efficiency of heating systems. Composites of carbon nanotubes and polymers might be a promising solution due to their lightweight, high design flexibility and fast temperature response. However, their relation between electrical resistivity and temperature, which affects Joule heating, or their thermal degradation behavior (dominated by degradation of the polymer matrix) is different from conventional monolithic heating materials (e.g., metals). This chapter starts with the correlation between electrical conductivity and filler content in terms of general percolation theory. It then highlights some models to explain how the microstructure of electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites influences their temperature coefficient of resistance, which is crucial for Joule heating. Afterward it concludes with relations between morphology and local overheating as well as impurities introduced by CNTs in terms of the composites’ thermal degradation stability.