Nanocomposite Dispersion: Quantifying the Structure-Function Relationship

dc.contributor.authorGibbons, Luke J.en
dc.contributor.committeechairLeo, Donald J.en
dc.contributor.committeememberLillehei, Peter T.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPriya, Shashanken
dc.contributor.committeememberLogan, Kathryn V.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPark, Cheolen
dc.contributor.departmentMaterials Science and Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-06T15:43:49Zen
dc.date.adate2011-11-04en
dc.date.available2017-04-06T15:43:49Zen
dc.date.issued2011-09-06en
dc.date.rdate2016-09-30en
dc.date.sdate2011-09-20en
dc.description.abstractThe dispersion quality of nanoinclusions within a matrix material is often overlooked when relating the effect of nanoscale structures on functional performance and processing/property relationships for nanocomposite materials. This is due in part to the difficulty in visualizing the nanoinclusion and ambiguity in the description of dispersion. Understanding the relationships between the composition of the nanofiller, matrix chemistry, processing procedures and resulting dispersion is a necessary step to tailor the physical properties. A method is presented that incorporates high-contrast imaging, an emerging scanning electron microscopy technique to visualize conductive nanofillers deep within insulating materials, with various image processing procedures to allow for the quantification and validation of dispersion parameters. This method makes it possible to quantify the dispersion of various single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-polymer composites as a function of processing conditions, composition of SWCNT and polymer matrix chemistry. Furthermore, the methodology is utilized to show that SWCNT dispersion exhibits fractal-like behavior thus allowing for simplified quantitative dispersion analysis. The dispersion analysis methodology will be corroborated through comparison to results from small angle neutron scattering dispersion analysis. Additionally, the material property improvement of SWCNT nanocomposites are linked to the dispersion state of the nanostructure allowing for correlation between dispersion techniques, quantified dispersion of SWCNT at the microscopic scale and the material properties measured at the macroscopic scale.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.identifier.otheretd-09202011-144433en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-09202011-144433/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/77214en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectNanocomposite dispersionen
dc.subjectHigh-contrast scanning electron microscopyen
dc.subjectSingle wall carbon nanotubeen
dc.subjectNanotube dispersion quantificationen
dc.titleNanocomposite Dispersion: Quantifying the Structure-Function Relationshipen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineMaterials Science and Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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