Advanced Polyamide 6/Branched Carbon Nanotube Composites for Melt-Spinning of Bicomponent Filaments: Electrical Conductivity and Strain Characteristics

Abstract

This study investigates developing and optimizing electrically conductive bicomponent fibers based on polyamide 6 (PA6) incorporating hybrid carbon nanofillers. The research combines branched carbon nanotubes (bCNTs) and carbon black (CB) in various configurations to achieve optimal electrical conductivity while maintaining processability. A stable production window was established for bicomponent fibers with 39.1% conductive core fraction, operating at 70–90 bar pressure range through systematic investigation of processing parameters. The optimal configuration (BC6) demonstrated successful continuous processing at throughput rates of 0.95–1.1 cm3/min and a winding speed of 25 m/min. Morphological analysis revealed effective core-sheath integration with interface thickness reducing from 56 µm to 42 µm upon drawing. The optimized fibers exhibited a tensile strength of 4.11?±?0.56 N, elongation at break of 140.24?±?59.46%, and electrical resistivity of 5.50E?+?04?±?2.37E?+?04 ?·cm. These findings establish a comprehensive framework for industrial-scale production of conductive bicomponent fibers, offering promising applications in smart textiles and wearable electronics. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.