Applying complex network theory to the understanding of high-aspect-ratio carbon-filled composites

¹ Center of Physics, University of Minho - 4710-057 Braga, Portugal, EU
² Institute for Polymers and Composites IPC/I3N, University of Minho - Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimares, Portugal, EU
³ School of Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave - 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal, EU
⁴ Air Force Research Laboratories, Wright-Patterson AFB - OH 45433-7750, USA

^a rsimoes@dep.uminho.pt
^b lanceros@fisica.uminho.pt

Received: 24 October 2010
Accepted: 20 January 2011

Abstract

This work demonstrates that the theoretical framework of complex networks typically used to study systems such as social networks or the World Wide Web can be also applied to material science, allowing deeper understanding of fundamental physical relationships. In particular, through the application of the network theory to carbon nanotubes or vapour-grown carbon nanofiber composites, by mapping fillers to vertices and edges to the gap between fillers, the percolation threshold has been predicted and a formula that relates the composite conductance to the network disorder has been obtained. The theoretical arguments are validated by experimental results from the literature.