Influence of Silica and Chemical Modification on Dispersion of Carbon Black Nanoparticles in Epoxy Resin.

The addition of nanoparticles into organic polymers provides an efficient means to advance the properties of the host polymer. The properties of such polymer nanocomposites are built upon the nanoparticles that are dispersed within the polymer matrix. However, because of inaptness, the dispersion of synthesized inorganic nanoparticles in polymer matrices is very challenging; this paper reports the synergistic effect of the use of silica, thermal and chemical modification to improve the dispersion of carbon black (CB) nanoparticle in epoxy resin. The properties of the nanoparticles and the epoxy nanocomposite were investigated using XRD, XPS, FESEM, FTIR, BET/SAP and particle size zetasizer. The addition of silica and the use thermal and chemical modification proved a FESEM image with a well dispersed CB nanoparticle within the host epoxy resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]