Quantitative description of the spatial dispersion of carbon nanotubes in polymeric matrix

The article describes methodology for quantitative description of the dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in a nanopolymeric composite, which is based on application of scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with computer-aided image analyses. This methodology has been applied to study spatial arrangements of CNT in two polymeric resin-based composites developed for aerospace applications. The obtained quantitative characteristics of the CNT distribution are subsequently used to discuss the properties of the composites in question. In particular the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites is analysed in terms of the critical distance between the CNT.