Optical Properties of Aligned Single Wall Carbon Nanotube / Polymer Composites

Dr. Jeffrey A. Fagan

Mentor: Dr. Erik K. Hobbie

Polymers Division, MSEL

Bldg 224, Rm A225

Mail Stop 8542

Tel #:301-975-6740

Fax#:301-975-

Email: Jeffrey.fagan@nist.gov

Sigma Xi: No

Category: Materials

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are exemplary materials with interesting optical, thermal and mechanical properties.  Due to the rod-like morphology of the nanotubes, many of the nanotube properties are highly anisotropic.  In this work, SWCNTs were dispersed and aligned within a polymer matrix.  The aligned composite materials were characterized to determine intrinsic optical and physical properties of the SWCNT material; these measurements will allow for improved metrology and purity characterization of nanotube materials.