Effects of Plasma and Acid Treatment on the Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in Liquids

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different diameters were treated by plasma and acid. The CNTs were dispersed in water and the light transmittance of the CNTs dispersoid (the mixture of CNTs and water) was measured to characterize the dispersibility of CNTs. With the light transmittance of water as the baseline, relative transmittance (RT) of CNTs dispersoid was calculated and the curves of RT varying with time were fitted with a function. The effects of CNTs diameter, acid treatment and plasma treatment on the dispersion of CNTs in water were studied according to the fitting results. It could be concluded that the dispersibility of the CNTs with bigger diameters was better. Plasma treatment could improve the dispersibility of CNTs and if the CNTs were acid-treated, plasma treatment could improve their dispersibility further.