Onset of Percolation in Carbon Nanotube Suspensions and Composites
Abstract
Monte Carlo simulations have been performed, aimed at finding the thermodynamic limit of a critical fractional volume associated with the onset of percolation for randomly oriented nanotubes dispersed in a low thermo- or electro-conductive medium. Nanotubes were treated as interpenetrating conductive capped cylinders ("sticks") with a high (up to 2000) aspect ratio. It has been found that in this case, critical fractional volume is inversely proportional to aspect ratio resulting in a surprisingly low filler volume loadings of the order of 0.01achieve percolation in such systems in a good agreement with recent experimental data on thermal and electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube suspensions and composites. Critical exponents of percolation theory are evaluated and discussed.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..MARG27011M