Achieving High Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in Vinyl Ester Composites

This study addresses the effects of carbon nanotube (CNT) concentration and degree of dispersion on the electrical properties of vinyl ester (VE) composites. XD grade CNTs were dispersed in VE using an ultra-sonic probe. The energy input, amplitude of sonics, and CNT concentration were varied and the resulting electrical resistivities were compared to that of a pre-selected standard. The degree of dispersion of the CNT/VE composites was correlated to their electrical resitivities. The dispersion was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the electrical resistivity was measured with a Four-Point Probe (FPP). The electrical resistivity was observed to exponentially decrease with increasing energy input, amplitude of sonics and CNT concentration. The electrical percolation threshold for the system was calculated to be ~0.57 CNT wt%.