Effect of particle size on light transmittance of glass particle dispersed epoxy matrix optical composites

The effect of glass particle size, (d) over bar p, on the light transmittance of epoxy matrix composite has been studied. A glass particle has been incorporated into an epoxy matrix and light transmittances were measured at a wavelength range from 300 to 1100 nm. In the same volume fraction, increasing the particle size resulted in an increased light transmittance. This behavior was correlated with the normalized total surface area of the particle, [S-a], between the particle and matrix. The wavelength dependence of light transmittance of the composite was empirically expressed as a function of [S-a] and the difference between the refractive index of the particle and that of the matrix in the composite, Delta n(c). (C) 1999 Acta Metallurgica Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.