Facile Construction of Hierarchical Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient Composites for Improved Reproducibility

Bao-Yu Wang; Heng-Yu Zhao; Xin Ji; Wei Hu; Yu-Ru Duan; Jian-Ze Li; Zi-Hao Zhang; Ying Liang; Bin Fang; Zhen Zhang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3658-x

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Facile Construction of Hierarchical Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient Composites for Improved Reproducibility

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-05-27

- Facile Construction of Hierarchical Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient Composites for Improved Reproducibility
- Facile Construction of Hierarchical Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient Composites for Improved Reproducibility
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 2026年44卷第8期页码：2681-2690
- Affiliations：
  
  a.School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
  b.School of Physics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Author bio：
  
  yliang@ecust.edu.cn (Y.L.)
  zhangzhen@ecust.edu.cn (Z.Z.)
- Funds：
  
  This work was financially supported by the Undergraduate Training Program on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Nos. 202510251118S and 202510251085).;The authors declare no interest conflict.Electronic supplementary information (ESI) is available free of charge in the online version of this article at http://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3658-x.The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3658-x
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2026-01-16，
  
  录用：2026-03-11，
  
  网络首发：2026-05-26，
  
  纸质出版：2026-08-15
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Wang, B. Y.; Zhao, H. Y.; Ji, X.; Hu, W.; Duan, Y. R.; Li, J. Z.; Zhang, Z. H.; Liang, Y.; Fang, B.; Zhang, Z. Facile construction of hierarchical polymeric positive temperature coefficient composites for improved reproducibility. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2681–2690

Bao-Yu Wang, Heng-Yu Zhao, Xin Ji, et al. Facile Construction of Hierarchical Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient Composites for Improved Reproducibility[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(8): 2681-2690.
Wang, B. Y.; Zhao, H. Y.; Ji, X.; Hu, W.; Duan, Y. R.; Li, J. Z.; Zhang, Z. H.; Liang, Y.; Fang, B.; Zhang, Z. Facile construction of hierarchical polymeric positive temperature coefficient composites for improved reproducibility. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 2681–2690 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3658-x.

Bao-Yu Wang, Heng-Yu Zhao, Xin Ji, et al. Facile Construction of Hierarchical Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient Composites for Improved Reproducibility[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(8): 2681-2690. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3658-x.

摘要

A solution-mixing strategy based on the solubility difference of polymers was employed to fabricate hierarchical polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) composites. Benefiting from the relay function of the PA1010/TiC particles

the reproducibility was significantly improved.

Abstract

Adopting composite matrices has great significance for improving the performance of polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) materials. However

the uncontrollable selective distribution of fillers in different matrices induced by the differences in compatibility severely limits the flexible design and regulation of conductive networks. A solution-mixing strategy based on the solubility difference of polymer matrices in different solvents was employed to flexibly fabricate hierarchical PPTC composites

achieving the precise localization of conductive fillers. In the hierarchical structure

PVDF/TiC served as the first-level PTC material

whereas the PA1010/TiC particles acted as the other-level PTC material. The PA1010/TiC particles serving as relay stations also participated in the construction of the PVDF/TiC conductive network. Benefiting from the restriction effect of the PA1010/TiC particles for the PVDF chains and TiC fillers

the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) effect was effectively suppressed

and a maximum

PTC

of 8.9 was obtained. Moreover

in cyclic testing

the PVDF phase crystallized posterior to the PA1010 phase

generating compression and releasing latent heat for the PA1010 phase

which synergistically reinforced the crystallization of the PA1010 phase

enabling rapid reconstruction of long-range conductive networks in the entire system. Therefore

the reproducibility and

hold

of the hierarchical PPTC thermistor were significantly improved. This strategy not only breaks the bottleneck of the selective distribution of fillers in the multi-matrix of PPTC materials

but also achieves dynamic control of hierarchical conductive networks

suggesting a new pathway toward the overall improvement of the performance of PPTC thermistors.

关键词

Keywords

references

Go, G. M.; Park, S.; Lim, M.; Jang, B.; Park, J. Y.; Cho, H. B.; Choa, Y. H. Enhanced positive temperature coefficient intensity and reproducibility with synergistic effect of 0-D and 2-D filler composites. J. Mater. Sci. 2022 , 57 , 18037−18050..

Wang, Y. F.; Chen, X. Y. Investigation of the positive temperature coefficient resistivity of Nb-Doped Ba 0.55 Sr 0.45 TiO 3 ceramics. Crystals. 2024 , 14 , 419..

[Chen, P.; Lu, Z. K.; Ji, L. M.; Li, Y. F. Design of the control scheme of power battery low-temperature charging heating based on real-vehicle applications. IEEE Veh. Power Propuls. Conf. (VPPC) 2013 , 105−110..

Gao, C.; Fu, Q. Y.; Zhou, D. X.; Zu, H.; Chen, T.; Xue, F.; Hu, Y. X.; Zheng, Z. P.; Luo, W. Nanocrystalline semiconducting donor-doped BaTiO 3 ceramics for laminated PTC thermistor. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 2017 , 37 , 1523−1528..

Safonov, E.; Frolov, V.; Zhiligotov, R.; Petrenya, Y. The specifics of PTC thermistor applications for limiting surge currents. Energies 2024 , 17 , 318..

Yu, A. M.; Li, Q. Study on thermal control behavior using BaTiO 3 -based PTC materials with room-temperature Curie point. ASME Int. Conf. Micro/Nanoscale Heat Mass Transfer 2019 , 58905 , V001T06A001..

Shin, Y. H.; Sim, S.; Kim, S. C. Performance characteristics of a modularized and integrated PTC heating system for an electric vehicle. Energies 2016 , 9 , 18..

Cicek, U. I.; Southee, D. J.; Johnson, A. A. The development and characterisation of 3D-printed multi-material thermistor. Addit. Manuf. 2024 , 94 , 104510..

Cao, S. Y.; Shi, C. Y.; Kong, F.; Liu, Y.; Fan, Y. W.; Tuo, Y. L.; Wang, J. H.; Yao, J. C.; Chang, A. M. Fabrication and properties of fast-response NTC chip thermistors based on Mn-Co-Fe-Mg-M-O (M=Zn, Cr) high-entropy ceramics. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 2025 , 189 , 109278..

Ouni, I.; Moualhi, Y.; Rahmouni, H. Thermistor and capacitor parameter analysis through electrical and dielectric investigations of manganite systems for technological applications. Sensor Actuat A-Phys. 2025 , 384 , 116300..

Ding, S. W.; Pan, B.; Jia, G.; Li, L. F. Influence of Bi and Nb codoping on the behaviors o f BaTiO 3 -based PTC ceramics. Chin. J. Inorg. Chem. 2012 , 28 , 40−44..

Huang, H.; Chen, Y.; Li, Z.; Yang, H.; Yang, Z.; Guo, J. C.; Yang, Y. The influences of controlling sintering mechanism on electrical properties of multilayer PTCR chip. J. Wuhan Univ. Technol.-Mater. Sci. Ed. 2015 , 30 , 674−678..

Chen, Y.; Gong, S. P.; Zhang, B.; Cao, W. Q.; Yu, D. P.; Liu, Z. Y.; Wang, W. F. The preparation of fine-grained positive temperature coefficient resistance with superior electrical properties. Microelectron. Eng. 2013 , 103 , 106−110..

Zha, J. W.; Wu, D. H.; Yang, Y.; Wu, Y. H.; Li, R. K. Y.; Dang, Z. M. Enhanced positive temperature coefficient behavior of the high-density polyethylene composites with multi-dimensional carbon fillers and their use for temperature-sensing resistors. RSC Adv. 2017 , 7 , 11338−11344..

Liu, K.; Xu, Z.; Mei, J.; Han, J. L.; Zheng, F. H.; Wang, H. Q.; Huang, Y. G.; Wu, Q.; Qin, G. F.; Jiang, J. T.; Li, Q. Y. Strategies for improving positive temperature effects in conductive polymer composites: A review. J. Mater. Chem. C 2023 , 11 , 4966−4992..

Cheng, W. L.; Yuan, S.; Song, J. L. Studies on preparation and adaptive thermal control performance of novel PTC materials with controllable Curie temperatures. Energy 2014 , 74 , 447−454..

Bakhtiar, S. U. H.; Dong, T. W.; Xue, B. X.; Ali, S.; Sattar, H.; Dong, W.; Fu, Q. Y. Positive temperature coefficient materials for intelligent overload protection in the new energy era. Mater. Today 2023 , 71 , 108−134..

Tang, Q. Z.; Fan, S. C.; Yang, Y.; Hu, W.; Qian, C.; Ji, X.; Zhang, Z.; Liang, Y.; Fang, B. Effect of gradient distribution of fillers on polymeric PTC thermistors prepared by solution mixing and subsiding method. Compos. Commun. 2023 , 42 , 101661..

Chen, L.; Zhang, J. M. Designs of conductive polymer composites with exceptional reproducibility of positive temperature coefficient effect: A review. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2021 , 138 , 49677..

Okutani, C.; Yokota, T.; Matsukawa, R.; Someya, T. Suppressing the negative temperature coefficient effect of resistance in polymer composites with positive temperature coefficients of resistance by coating with parylene. J. Mater. Chem. C 2020 , 8 , 7304−7308..

Jiang, G. M.; Zhou, Y. X.; Teng, C. Y.; Zhang, Y. X.; Huang, X.; Xue, L.; Zhou, L. M. Electrical resistivity-temperature characteristics enhancement of insulating cross-linked polyethylene composites by incorporating positive temperature coefficient particles with different Curie temperatures. High Volt. 2023 , 8 , 1−11..

Deng, H.; Skipa, T.; Zhang, R.; Lellinger, D.; Bilotti, E.; Alig, I.; Peijs, T. Effect of melting and crystallization on the conductive network in conductive polymer composites. Polymer 2009 , 50 , 3747−3754..

Pang, H.; Xu, L.; Yan, D. X.; Li, Z. M. Conductive polymer composites with segregated structures. Prog. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 39 , 1908−1933..

Chen, L.; Wu, X.; Zhang, X. F.; Zhang, J. M. Enhanced reproducibility of positive temperature coefficient effect of CB/HDPE/PVDF composites with the addition of ionic liquid. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2021 , 39 , 228−236..

Liu, G. S.; Zhao, Y. S.; Lin, M. J.; Zhang, L.; Li, G. X.; Liao, X. Prepara tion of controllable and repeatable crystalline states through step-by-step self-nucleation programming and its application for improving the PTC reproducibility of trans-1,4-polyisoprene/carbon black composites. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2024 , 63 , 9800−9810..

Lu, C.; Hu, X. N.; He, Y. X.; Huang, X. H.; Liu, J. C.; Zhang, Y. Q. Triple percolation behavior and positive temperature coefficient effect of conductive polymer composites with especial interface morphology. Polym. Bull. 2012 , 68 , 2071−2087..

Wei, Y.; Li, Z. Y.; Liu, X. H.; Dai, K.; Zheng, G. Q.; Liu, C. T.; Chen, J. B.; Shen, C. Y. Temperature-resistivity characteristics of a segregated conductive CB/PP/UHMWPE composite. Colloid Polym. Sci. 2014 , 292 , 2891−2898..

Kim, C. H.; Lee, S. Y.; Park, S. J. Positive/negative temperature coefficient behaviors of electron beam-irradiated carbon blacks-loaded polyethylene nanocomposites. ACS Omega 2022 , 7 , 47933−47940..

Zhang, X.; Zheng, S. D.; Zou, H. Z.; Zheng, X. F.; Liu, Z. Y.; Yang, W.; Yang, M. B. Two-step positive temperature coefficient effect with favorable reproducibility achieved by specific "island-bridge" electrical conductive networks in HDPE/PVDF/CNF composite. Compos. Part A Appl. Sci. Manuf. 2017 , 94 , 21−31..

Liu, J. Y.; Chen, C. M.; Tao, Y.; Zhang, J.; Huang, Z. H.; Luo, X.; Liu, R. H.; Ye, L. J.; Li, Y. J. Building efficient 3D networks by controlled localization of hybrid fillers in immiscible polymer blends. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2024 , 6 , 5366−5373..

Göldel, A.; Marmur, A.; Kasaliwal, G. R.; Pötschke, P.; Heinrich, G. Shape-dependent localization of carbon nanotubes and carbon black in an immiscible polymer blend during melt mixing. Macromolecules 2011 , 44 , 6094−6102..

Baudouin, A. C.; Devaux, J.; Bailly, C. Localization of carbon nanotubes at the interface in blends of polyamide and ethylene-acrylate copolymer. Polymer 2010 , 51 , 1341−1354..

Bao, Y.; Xu, L.; Pang, H.; Yan, D. X.; Chen, C.; Zhang, W. Q.; Tang, J. H.; Li, Z. M. Preparation and properties of carbon black/polymer composites with segregated and double-percolated network structures. J. Mater. Sci. 2013 , 48 , 4892−4898..

Stalmann, G.; Matic, A.; Jacobsson, P.; Tranchi da, D.; Gitsas, A.; Gkourmpis, T. Crystallisation kinetics and associated electrical conductivity dynamics of poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) nanocomposites in the melt state. Nanomaterials 2022 , 12 , 3602..

Setnescu, R.; Lungulescu, E. M.; Marinescu, V. E. Polymer composites with self-regulating temperature behavior: Properties and characterization. Materials 2022 , 16 , 157..

浏览量

Downloads

CSCD

文章被引用时，请邮件提醒。

Submit

工具集

关联资源

Enhanced Reproducibility of Positive Temperature Coefficient Effect of CB/HDPE/PVDF Composites with the Addition of Ionic Liquid

Molecular Weight Distribution Effects on the Structural and Mechanical Performance of Conjugated Polymers Incorporating Flexible Spacers: A Simulation Study

Advancing the Thin-film Mechanics of Conjugated Polymers: Characterization, Modulation, and Innovation

Modulating Molecular Weight of Polyethylenes from Oligomer to Polymer Using Highly Thermal Stable Cationic α-Diimine Palladium Complexes

Soft-segment-engineered Self-healing Polyurethane for High-performance Electrorheological Elastomers and Capacitive Sensors