Three-dimensional direct visualization of silica dispersion in polymer-based composites

Abstract

The uniform dispersion of silica fillers or other neutral fillers in the polymer matrix is significant for fabricating high-performance polymer-based composites. However, there is a long-standing challenge to provide a comprehensive, wide-area and real 3D distribution map to achieve direct visualization for the dispersion state of neutral silica. Herein, we propose a novel strategy for modifying silica fillers with commercial fluorophores to form fluorescent fillers in a standard manner. Through fluorescence imaging technology, we successfully observed the 2D-planar and 3D-spatial dispersion states of silica fillers in the polymer matrix. This success not only provides a visualized evaluation method for the spatial dispersion of an oxide filler, but also offers great potential in the further establishment of industrialized standards for the polymer-based composite industry.