ESR observation of the microstructure of polymer carbon-black composites. Correlation with dielectric properties

We describe the results of an experimental study of the dielectric and physicochemical properties of a composite material prepared by incorporating carbon black particles into a polymer matrix. The analysis of the carbon black concentration dependence of the amplitudes and linewidths of the ESR signals indicates that ESR is an important experimental probe of the structure of the elasticity network. Sorption kinetics experiments with toluene indicate that the uptake of solvent exhibits a square root dependence in time as a consequence of Fick's law and permit one to evaluate the effective diffusion coefficient in the range 10/sup -10/-10/sup -11/ cm/sup 2/ s/sup -1/ depending on the mass fraction of the carbon black in the sample.