Electron spectroscopy of rubber and resin-based composites containing 2D carbon

Composite materials with 2D carbon (graphene and/or single wall carbon nanotubes) are very promising due to
their extraordinary electrical andmechanical properties. Graphene and natural rubber composites,whichmay be
used for the gaskets or sealants, were prepared by ultrasonically assisted latex-mixing exfoliation and in-situ
reduction process, with two vulcanization approaches: roll-mixing and hot-pressing. Also the resin-based composites,
filled with micro-particles of Ag and graphene or carbon nanotubes, have been studied. The standards
for the compositional characterization of these materials still are not established. In addition to the mostly
used techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy, also Auger electron spectroscopy can
be employed for the identification of graphene. In this study, the shape of C KVV peak, excited by electron
beam and X-ray photons, has been investigated in different compositematerials containing graphene and carbon
nanotubes. A spectroscopic method for 2D carbon recognition, based on the Dx parameter which is determined
from C KVV signal excited by X-ray photons, was proposed and verified. Even a small content of graphene in
different types of composites was sufficient for this recognition due to the dominating presence of graphene
on the surface of composites.