Optical Diagnostics of Polymeric Fibers Containing Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are very attractive for fundamental researches and applications due to their unique chemical and physical properties. New application fields are triggered by peculiarities of electronic structure of this material. One of such fields is the single-wall carbon nanotube introduction in modern polymeric materials used for formation of antiballistic fabrics. This application is based on the characteristics determining the unique mechanical properties of nanotubes: a high degree of elasticity, a feather-weight and a high volume energy absorption. These properties already have been used for fabrication of high-strength composite materials for air- and mechanical engineering. In this work a possibility of the nanotube introduction into aramid-based polymeric fibers and approaches for the optical diagnostics of such materials are analyzed.