Electrical/Dielectric Measurements for Monitoring Polymerization, Morphology and Mechanical Integrity in Polymer Nanocomposites

Electrical and dielectric measurements are a powerful tool for following in real time physical and chemical processes, evolution of morphology and mechanical integrity in complex polymeric systems. Here we employ electrical dc measurements and broadband dielectric spectroscopy (DS) to follow the state of polymerization and curing processes in polymer/clay nanocomposites and the quality of filler dispersion, alignment and integrity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in various polymer/CNT nanocomposites, focusing on fundamental aspects of the various processes involved.