The Effect of Filler Material on the Interface Around a Nanoparticle in a Nanocomposite

In this work, the change in the dielectric constant and thickness of the interfacial region around a nanoparticle in a composite is studied as a function of change in the composition of the filler material. An electrostatic force microscopy (EFM)-based method previously proposed by the authors is used to examine the dependence of the interfacial parameters on the filler material. For this, two types of filler materials: barium titanate (BaTiO3) and alumina (Al2O3) are used with epoxy resin as a host material. A 3-D finite element method (FEM)-based model is used for the simulations. It is seen that change in filler material modifies the interface thickness and dielectric constant.

Automated summary

This work examines the impact of changes in filler material composition on the dielectric constant and thickness of the interfacial region in a nanoparticle composite. The authors use an electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) method to investigate the interfacial parameters' dependence on the filler material. Two types of filler materials, barium titanate (BaTiO3) and alumina (Al2O3), are used with epoxy resin as the host material. A 3-D finite element method (FEM) model is employed for simulations. It is found that changes in filler material alter the interface thickness and dielectric constant.