Effect of particles size on the optical constants of iron/polystyrene composites via UV-radiation

The present study deals with the optical characteristics of polystyrene (PS) composites containing iron particles of different sizes: 5, 40, 110, and 250 mu m. The optical absorption spectra were collected in the wavelength range 300-800 nm using a UV-spectrophotometer. The optical results obtained were analyzed in terms of the absorption formula for non-crystalline materials. The optical energy gap and other basic optical constants such as refractive index, dielectric constants, and optical conductivity were investigated and showed a clear dependence on the iron particles size. It was found that the optical energy gap for the iron-filled composites is less than that for the neat PS, and it decreases as the iron particle size decreases. The refractive index of the prepared composites was determined from the collected transmittance and reflectance spectra. It was found that the calculated dielectric constant and refractive index of the composites increase when the iron particles size decreases. The optical dispersion behavior of the composites was described by the single-oscillator model. Enhancement in the optical conductivity was observed with decreasing the iron particles size.