A quantitative method for analyzing the dispersion and agglomeration of nano-particles in composite materials

The distribution of particles (e.g. micro and nanoinclusions, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers) within a composite material plays a vital role in dictating many important constitutive properties. In this study, a general method to quantify the dispersion and agglomeration of nano-particles in composite materials has been developed. The dispersion quantity, D, is measured by the free-path spacing between particles; whereas, the agglomeration quantity, A, is measured by the particle size. In both cases, a quantifiable percentage is calculated based on the statistical probability that either the free-path spacing or particle size falls within a certain percentage above and below μ, where μ is either the mean spacing or particle size. The proposed method is used to quantify the dispersion and agglomeration of both carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within aqueous solutions.