Structural Interpretation of Variation in Properties of Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites near the Nanofiller Percolation Threshold

Abstract

The structure of the nanofiller in the polymer matrix of polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites can be characterized by the dimension of the nanofiller network, which is a direct indicator of its aggregation level. The formation process of such a network is considered as a result of interaction of the matrix polymer and a carbon nanotube; which allows us to determine its dimension with the help of fractal analysis. It is found that the dimension of the carbon nanotube network changes both qualitatively and quantitatively at their percolation threshold, reflecting different aggregation levels. This dimension uniquely determines the degree of reinforcement of such nanocomposites and their structural state as a system.