Abstract: In the study, humiditysensitive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared through adsorption between CNTs and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and their chemical compositions were characterized by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Such humiditysensitive CNTs were introduced into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as a conductive additive. The effect of humiditysensitive CNTs on the volume conductivity of the composites was investigated under a simulated moisture environment. The results indicated that the PVC/CNTs composites achieved a percolation threshold at a low CNTs loading of 4 wt.% due to the surfacemodification of CNTs, and the electronic conductivity of the composites increased by four orders of magnitude after the absorbing moisture.

Key words: poly(vinyl chloride), carbon nanotube, antistatic ability, composite, humiditysensitivity