Transmission Light Microscopy of Carbon Nanotubes-Epoxy Nanocomposites Involving Different Dispersion Methods

Abstract

Before employing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a polymer matrix as potential reinforcement elements, major obstacles, like inhomogeneous distribution and formation of agglomerates, need to be removed. Transmission Light Microscopy is a very quick, cheap and useful tool for roughly quantifying such problems. In this paper, various dispersion methods like simple hand mixing, low power ultrasonic bath, high power bath ultrasonication, tip ultrasonication, high speed mechanical mixing twin screw mini-extrusion and dual asymmetric mixing are used for dispersing amino-modified double walled nanotubes (DWNT-NH2) in epoxy matrix. From relative visual examination, high power bath ultrasonication proved to be the best, whereas, low power bath ultrasonication resulted in the maximum inhomogeneous distribution of nanotubes in epoxy.