LAUSR

Abstract In this paper we present the results of electromechanical studies of graphene–low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites. Two types of graphene were transferred onto LDPE using PMMA support: graphene grown by physical vapor deposition on liquid metallic matrix (so called high strength metallurgical graphene, HSMG) and commercial chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene. Raman spectroscopy was used for preliminary characterization of graphene, whereas Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) combined with electrical measurement setup and symmetrical stretching stage was used for observations of the electrical properties changes of elongated graphene. Maximum elongation of graphene–LDPE composites were 10%. Resistance of the HSMG graphene was changing from 130 kΩ up to 900 kΩ for HSMG graphene and from 100 kΩ up to 300 kΩ for CVD graphene. Observed resistance changes were compared with contact potential difference recorded by KPFM. KPFM showed that resistance changes can be attributed rather to the structural discontinuities for the CVD graphene sample. In case of the HSMG graphene sample such behavior was not observed.