Novel non-contact optical characterisation methods of polymeric nanocomposite structures based on their particle loading and dispersion profile

Current methods to characterise specific properties of polymeric nanocomposites (PNCs), such as particle loading and dispersion profile, rely on a number of techniques that require special sample preparation and treatment, are very expensive, require long measurement times and quite often produce ambiguous results that are difficult to evaluate and interpret. In addition, given their complexity, they are not entirely suited for in-situ industrial environments. This paper presents alternative techniques based on optical diffraction and diffusion mechanisms combined with signal processing that can successfully discriminate between different particle loadings and levels of dispersion. The techniques discussed in this paper are Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography in the infra-red, Fraunhofer wavefront correlation in the visible red and oscillatory photon correlation spectroscopy in the visible green parts of the spectrum. Most importantly, they are non-invasive, are compact, fast and efficient, can potentially analyse large areas of the material and therefore suited for a wide variety of research and industrial situations.