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Direct Imaging of the Percolation Network in a Three-Dimensional Disordered Conductor-Insulator Composite

1995; American Physical Society; Volume: 75; Issue: 24 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physrevlett.75.4433

1092-0145

Ravi Viswanathan, Michael B. Heaney,

Carbon Nanotubes in Composites

We have directly imaged the percolation network at the surface of a three-dimensional carbon-black-polymer composite using an electric force microscope. At intermediate length scales the conductive area exposed at the surface increases with surface area according to a power law corresponding to a three-dimensional infinite cluster of fractal dimension $D=2.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$. This value is in good agreement with the scaling theory prediction, $D=2.53$. At large length scales the behavior is homogenous with the classical exponent $D=3$.