## 3 Results and Discussion
### Direct Current (dc) Electrical Conductivity Analysis  
In this setting, it is essential to understand the conduction processes and phenomena that govern electrical conductivity in conductive polymer nanocomposites in order to develop new materials for desired applications. For example, when the concentration (\(p\)) of conductive nanofiller, such as MWCNTs, reaches the percolation threshold (\(p_{c}\)), a conductive path forms, and the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite increases significantly [72; 73; 74; 75]. An abrupt increase in the \(dc\) electrical conductivity (\(\sigma_{dc}\)) of a nanocomposite occurs when concentrations of conductive nanof fillers reach the percolation threshold [72; 73; 74]. The percolation threshold is defined as the volumetric fraction of conductive fillers that is necessary to form a continuous conductive path in a nanocomposite [72; 73; 74]. On the other  
Figure 7: _Tan \(\delta\)_ curves of VNR/MWCNT nanocomposites with different concentrations of MWCNT fillers.  
hand, when the concentration of conductive fillers is below the percolation threshold, there are no conductive paths between the fillers in the matrix, resulting in an \(\sigma_{dc}\) value similar to that of an insulating polymer matrix. Contrary to this, the \(\sigma_{dc}\) value can increase dramatically above the percolation threshold because of the interconnection between the conductive paths, enabling filler carrier to flow efficiently and increasing the \(\sigma_{dc}\) of nanocomposites closer to the conductive nanofillers [72; 73; 74].  
Figure 8: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves as a function of temperature for VNR/MWCNT nanocomposites at varying MWCNT filler concentrations.  
Figure 9: Derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves as a function of temperature for VNR/MWCNT nanocomposites with varying MWCNT filler concentrations.  
As shown in Table 5, the \(\sigma_{dc}\) values of VNR/MWCNT nanocomposites with different phr concentrations of MWCNTs are presented. The results in Table 5 indicate that the dispersion of MWCNTs in 1 phr had little impact on the \(\sigma_{dc}\) value of the nanocomposite; i.e., both the neat VNR and VNR/MWCNT samples presented \(\sigma_{dc}\) values in the range of \(10^{-14}\) S/m. Nevertheless, when 2 phr of MWCNTs was added to VNR matrix, the \(\sigma_{dc}\) value of the nanocomposite increased by two orders of magnitude compared to neat VNR. A significant increase in the \(\sigma_{dc}\) value of the VNR/MWCNT nanocomposite was observed when the MWCNT concentration reached 3 phr. It is evident from the abrupt increase in the electrical conductivity of the VNR/MWCNT nanocomposite with 3 phr of MWCNTs that the percolation region is close to this concentration. In other words, it is in this region that electrical percolation takes place, where the MWCNTs form an uninterrupted conductive path in the nanocomposite that allows filler particles to move when they are subject to an external electric field. The \(\sigma_{dc}\) value at these MWCNT concentrations is six orders of magnitude greater than that for neat VNR, as can be observed in Table 5. In comparison with neat VNR, the \(\sigma_{dc}\) values of the nanocomposite samples of VNR/MWCNTs with 4 and 5 phr of MWCNTs were eight and ten orders of magnitude higher, respectively. It is possible that several uninterrupted paths formed within the nanocomposite as a result of the fact that samples with concentrations of 4 and 5 phr of MWCNTs are above the percolation threshold.  
Thus, we have shown that a small mass fraction of MWCNTs can have a significant impact on the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of VNR/MWCNT nanocomposites, making them ideal for use as sensors and anti-static protection blankets.