Effect of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes dispersity on the light transmittancy of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes/epoxy composites

Abstract

Abstract Two types of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), chemically modified and unmodified, were dispersed in epoxy resin with ultrasonication. The light transmittance characteristics of epoxy composites with different ratios of MWCNTs to epoxy resin were measured at wavelengths ranging from 200 to 1100 nm. Results showed that composites with modified MWCNTs had a much higher light transmittance than those with unmodified MWCNTs. This was presumably due to a more uniform dispersion of modified MWCNTs in the epoxy matrix, as indicated by both transmission electron microscopy and optic microscopy. The wavelength dependency of light transmittance of the composites was expressed empirically as a function of weight fraction ( f w ) of MWCNTs and the light wavelength ( λ ). POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:635–642, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers.