Conduction noise absorption by fiber-reinforced epoxy composites with carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ok Hyoung; Kim, Sung-Soo; Lim, Yun-Soo

2011-01-01

Nearly all electronic equipment is susceptible to malfunction as a result of electromagnetic interference. In this study, glass fiber, and carbon fiber as a type reinforcement and epoxy as a matrix material were used to fabricate composite materials. In an attempt to increase the conduction noise absorption, carbon nanotubes were grown on the surface of glass fibers and carbon fibers. A microstrip line with characteristic impedance of 50 Ω in connection with network analyzer was used to measure the conduction noise absorption. In comparing a glass fiber/epoxy composite with a GF-CNT/Ep composite, it was demonstrated that the CNTs significantly influence the noise absorption property mainly due to increase in electric conductivity. In the carbon fiber composites, however, the effectiveness of CNTs on the degree of electric conductivity is negligible, resulting in a small change in reflection and transmission of an electromagnetic wave. - Research Highlights: → In this study, glass fiber and carbon fiber as a type reinforcement and epoxy as a matrix material were used to fabricate composite materials. In an attempt to increase the conduction noise absorption, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown on the surface of glass fibers and carbon fibers. A microstrip line with characteristic impedance of 50 Ω in connection with network analyzer was used to measure the conduction noise absorption. → In comparing a glass fiber/epoxy composite with a GF-CNT/Ep composite, it was demonstrated that the CNTs significantly influence the noise absorption property mainly due to increase in electric conductivity. In the carbon fiber composites, however, the effectiveness of CNTs on the degree of electric conductivity is negligible, resulting in a small change in reflection and transmission of an electromagnetic wave.

Fracture toughness behaviour of carbon fibre epoxy composite with Kevlar reinforced interleave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, S.N.; Kumar, Vijai; Verma, Sushil K.

2006-01-01

This work was to evaluate as to how mode II fracture toughness G II is affected by interleave having Kevlar fibre reinforcement in the fracture plane. Thermoset interleave and chopped Kevlar fibres were applied between the carbon/epoxy composite layers. An artificial crack starter was implanted in the mid-plane to initiate the fracture process. The following five different types of carbon fibre/epoxy composites were prepared and tested. (a) Base laminate without interleave (b) unreinforced interleave and (c) 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/cm 2 chopped Kevlar fibre reinforced interleave. Results obtained show that fracture toughness G IIC enhanced up to about two times in all the laminates. However, enhancement in fracture toughness G IIC was more effective in interleaved laminate than Kevlar reinforced interleaved because of large energy absorbing capabilities of interleaf. Mechanism of fracture and toughening were examined by using scanning electron microscope

Studies on mechanical, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of untreated (raw) and treated coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suresh Kumar, S.M.; Duraibabu, D.; Subramanian, K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • UTCSE and TCSE composites have been fabricated by compression molding technique. • The prepared specimens were characterized by FTIR, DMA, TGA and SEM techniques. • TCSE composite showed higher mechanical properties compared to UTCSE composite. • DMA showed that TCSE composite exhibited higher storage modulus than UTCSE composite. • TCSE composite showed higher thermal stability than UTCSE composite. - Abstract: The untreated (raw) coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy (UTCSE) composite and treated coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy (TCSE) composite have been fabricated using hand layup followed by compression molding technique. The prepared specimens were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The prepared specimens are cut as per ASTM Standards to measure tensile, flexural and impact strengths by using universal testing machine and izod impact tester respectively. The treated coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy composite (TCSE) posses higher mechanical strength and thermal stability compared to untreated (raw) coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy composite (UTCSE). In the SEM fracture analysis, TCSE composite showed better fiber–matrix bonding and absence of voids compared to UTCSE composite

Mechanical properties of functionalised CNT filled kenaf reinforced epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Sapiai, Napisah; Jumahat, Aidah; Mahmud, Jamaluddin

2018-04-01

This paper aims to study the effect of functionalised carbon nanotubes (CNT) on mechanical properties of kenaf fibre reinforced polymer composites. The CNT was functionalised using acid mixtures of H2SO4:HNO3 and 3-Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane before it was incorporated into epoxy resin. Three different types of CNT were used, i.e. pristine (PCNT), acid-treated (ACNT) and acid-silane treated (SCNT), to fabricate kenaf composite. Three different filler contents were mixed in each composite system, i.e. 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 wt%. The functionalised CNT was characterized using x-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Tensile, flexural and Izod impact tests were conducted in order to evaluate the effect of CNT contents and surface treatment of mechanical properties of kenaf composites. It was observed that the inclusion of 1 wt% acid-silane treated CNT improved the tensile, flexural and impact strengths of kenaf/epoxy composite by 43.30%, 21.10%, and 130%, respectively. Silane modification had been proven to be beneficial in enhancing the dispersibility and reducing agglomeration of CNT in the epoxy matrix.

Study of flax hybrid preforms reinforced epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muralidhar, B. A

2013-01-01

Highlights: • We examine the thermal, viscoelastic and mechanical behaviour of flax preform hybrid composites. • The thermal stability of the matrix decrease with increasing volume fraction of flax preforms. • The effect of number of preform layers and the lay-up architecture were studied.. • Morphological study on the fractured surface of the composite laminate is carried out. - Abstracts: This study investigates the thermal, mechanical and thermomechanical properties of flax hybrid preform reinforced epoxy composites. Flax plain weave fabric and 1 × 1 weft rib knitted structures were together used as reinforcements and the composites were produced using hand lay-up technique. Specimen preparation and testing were carried out as per ASTM standards. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicates a decrease in thermal stability of the matrix polymer with the incorporation of flax hybrid preform. The dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a shift in the T g with the addition of flax hybrid preforms. Mechanical data obtained showed that tensile strength and stiffness is a product of the fibre/matrix synergy, whereas the compressive strength and stiffness are contributed by the reinforcing matrix. Additionally, investigation show that laminate with knitted preform as skin layer exhibits superior mechanical properties. However, improved tensile properties at lower fibre volume fraction, reinforces the opinion that hybrid preform composites can offer significant benefits in terms of performance, weight and overall cost. The failure mechanism was analysed, by scanning electron microscope (SEM)

Investigations on Thermal Conductivities of Jute and Banana Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Pujari, Satish; Ramakrishna, Avasarala; Balaram Padal, Korabu Tulasi

2017-04-01

The Jute and Banana fibers are used as reinforcement in epoxy resin matrix for making partially green biodegradable material composite via hand lay-up technique. The thermal conductivity of the jute fiber epoxy composites and banana fiber epoxy composites at different volume fraction of the fiber is determined experimentally by using guarded heat flow meter method. The experimental results had shown that thermal conductivity of the composites decrease with an increase in the fiber content. Experimental results are compared with theoretical models (Series model, Hashin model and Maxwell model) to describe the variation of the thermal conductivity versus the volume fraction of the fiber. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results is observed. Thermal conductivity of Banana fiber composite is less when compared to that of Jute composite which indicates banana is a good insulator and also the developed composites can be used as insulating materials in building, automotive industry and in steam pipes to save energy by reducing rate of heat transfer.

THERMOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF JUTE/BAGASSE HYBRID FIBRE REINFORCED EPOXY THERMOSET COMPOSITES

OpenAIRE

Sudhir Kumar Saw; Chandan Datta

2009-01-01

Natural fibres are partly replacing currently used synthetic fibres as reinforcement for polymer composites. Jute fibre bundles were high-cellulose-content modified by alkali treatment, while the bagasse fibre bundles were modified by creating quinones in the lignin portions of fibre surfaces and reacting them with furfuryl alcohol (FA) to increase their adhesiveness. The effects of different fibre bundle loading and modification of bagasse fibre surfaces in hybrid fibre reinforced epoxy comp...

Mechanical characterization of epoxy composite with multiscale reinforcements: Carbon nanotubes and short carbon fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahmanian, S.; Suraya, A.R.; Shazed, M.A.; Zahari, R.; Zainudin, E.S.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Multiscale composite was prepared by incorporation of carbon nanotubes and fibers. • Carbon nanotubes were also grown on short carbon fibers to enhance stress transfer. • Significant improvements were achieved in mechanical properties of composites. • Synergic effect of carbon nanotubes and fibers was demonstrated. - Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and short carbon fibers were incorporated into an epoxy matrix to fabricate a high performance multiscale composite. To improve the stress transfer between epoxy and carbon fibers, CNT were also grown on fibers through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to produce CNT grown short carbon fibers (CSCF). Mechanical characterization of composites was performed to investigate the synergy effects of CNT and CSCF in the epoxy matrix. The multiscale composites revealed significant improvement in elastic and storage modulus, strength as well as impact resistance in comparison to CNT–epoxy or CSCF–epoxy composites. An optimum content of CNT was found which provided the maximum stiffness and strength. The synergic reinforcing effects of combined fillers were analyzed on the fracture surface of composites through optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Jute Mat Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.M Sadaf

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Cellulose jute fibre offers a number of benefits as reinforcement for synthetic polymers since it has a high specific strength and stiffness, low hardness, relatively low density and biodegradability. To reduce moisture uptake and hence to improve the mechanical properties of the composites, bleached jute mats were incorporated as reinforcing elements in the epoxy matrix. Composites at varying volume fractions and different orientations of jute mat were fabricated by hot compression machine under specific pressures and temperatures. Tensile, flexure, impact and water absorption tests of composites were conducted. Jute mat oriented at (0 ± 45–90° composites showed reduced strength compared to (0–90° fibre mat composites. Impact strength and water uptake of high volume fraction jute mat reinforced composites was higher compared to that of lower volume fraction composites. Fracture surfaces of jute mat composites were analyzed under SEM. Fracture surface of (0–90° jute mat oriented composites showed twisted fibres, while (0 ± 45–90° jute mat oriented composites had fibre pull-out without any twisting. Overall, composites containing 52% jute mat at orientations of (0–90° showed better properties compared to other fabricated composites.

Epoxy-based carbon nanotubes reinforced composites

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kesavan Pillai, Sreejarani

2011-04-01

Full Text Available of the three major epoxy resin producers worldwide [May, 1987]. Epoxy resin is most commonly used as a matrix for advanced composites due to their superior thermal, mechanical and electrical properties; dimensional stability and chemical resistance. Epoxy... and modifiers to create products with an almost unlimited range and variety of performance properties [The epoxy book, 2000]. Epoxy resins are widely used as high-grade synthetic resins, for example, in the electronics, aeronautics and astronautic industries...

Enhanced Flexural Strength of Tellurium Nanowires/epoxy Composites with the Reinforcement Effect of Nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Balguri, Praveen Kumar; Harris Samuel, D. G.; Aditya, D. B.; Vijaya Bhaskar, S.; Thumu, Udayabhaskararao

2018-02-01

Investigating the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposite materials has been greatly increased in the last decade. In particular, flexural strength plays a major role in resisting bending and shear loads of a composite material. Here, one dimensional (1D) tellurium nanowires (TeNWs) reinforced epoxy composites have been prepared and the flexural properties of resulted TeNWs/epoxy nanocomposites are studied. The diameter and length of the TeNWs used to make TeNWs/epoxy nanocomposites are 21±2.5 nm and 697±87 nm, respectively. Plain and TeNWs/epoxy nanocomposites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Furthermore, significant enhancement in the flexural strength of TeNWs/epoxy nanocomposite is observed in comparison to plain epoxy composite, i.e. flexural strength is increased by 65% with the addition of very little amount of TeNWs content (0.05 wt.%) to epoxy polymer. Structural details of plain and TeNWs/epoxy at micrometer scale were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We believe that our results provide a new type of semiconductor nanowires based high strength epoxy polymer nanocomposites.

Development of design data for graphite reinforced epoxy and polyimide composites

Science.gov (United States)

Scheck, W. G.

1974-01-01

Processing techniques and design data were characterized for a graphite/epoxy composite system that is useful from 75 K to 450 K, and a graphite/polyimide composite system that is useful from 75 K to 589 K. The Monsanto 710 polyimide resin was selected as the resin to be characterized and used with the graphite fiber reinforcement. Material was purchased using the prepreg specification for the design data generation for both the HT-S/710 and HM-S/710 graphite/polyimide composite system. Lamina and laminate properties were determined at 75 K, 297 K, and 589 K. The test results obtained on the skin-stringer components proved that graphite/polyimide composites can be reliably designed and analyzed much like graphite/epoxy composites. The design data generated in the program includes the standard static mechanical properties, biaxial strain data, creep, fatigue, aging, and thick laminate data.

X-ray imaging inspection of fiberglass reinforced by epoxy composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rique, A.M.; Machado, A.C.; Oliveira, D.F.; Lopes, R.T.; Lima, I.

2015-01-01

The goal of this work was to study the voids presented in bonded joints in order to minimize failures due to low adhesion of the joints in the industry field. One of the main parameters to be characterized is the porosity of the glue, since these pores are formed by several reasons in the moment of its adhesion, which are formed by composite of epoxy resin reinforced by fiberglass. For such purpose, it was used high energy X-ray microtomography and the results show its potential effective in recognizing and quantifying directly in 3D all the occlusions regions presented at glass fiber-epoxy adhesive joints

The mechanical properties, deformation and thermomechanical properties of alkali treated and untreated Agave continuous fibre reinforced epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mylsamy, K.; Rajendran, I.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → New renewable and biodegradable Agave americana fibre. → Environmentally free materials. → Good mechanical properties of Agave fibre reinforced epoxy composite materials. → Surface modification of the fibre (Alkali treatment) imported good mechanical properties. → Future scope in light weight materials manufacture. -- Abstract: The mechanical properties such as tensile, compressive, flexural, impact strength and water absorption of the alkali treated continuous Agave fibre reinforced epoxy composite (TCEC) and untreated continuous Agave fibre reinforced epoxy composite (UTCEC) were analysed. A comparison of the surfaces of TCEC and UTCEC composites was carried out by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermomechanical properties of the composite reinforced with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treated Agave fibres were considerably good as the shrinkage of the fibre during alkali treatment had facilitated more points of fibre resin interface. The SEM micrograph and FTIR spectra of the impact fracture surfaces of TCEC clearly demonstrate the better interfacial adhesion between fibre and the matrix. In both analyses the TCEC gave good performance than UTCEC and, thus, there is a scope for its application in light weight manufacture in future.

Epoxy-based carbon nanotubes reinforced composites

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kesavan Pillai, Sreejarani

2011-04-01

Full Text Available of the three major epoxy resin producers worldwide [May, 1987]. Epoxy resin is most commonly used as a matrix for advanced composites due to their superior thermal, mechanical and electrical properties; dimensional stability and chemical resistance. Epoxy... are electrical insulators, and the widespread use of the epoxy resins for many high-performance applications is constrained because of their inherent brittleness, delamination and fracture toughness limitations. There were quite a few approaches to enhance...

Mallow Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites in Multilayered Armor for Personal Ballistic Protection

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Lucio Fábio Cassiano; Louro, Luis Henrique Leme; Monteiro, Sergio Neves; Lima, Édio Pereira; da Luz, Fernanda Santos

2017-10-01

Lighter and less expensive polymer composites reinforced with natural fibers have been investigated as possible components of a multilayered armor system (MAS) for personal protection against high-velocity ammunition. Their ballistic performance was consistently found comparable with that of conventional Kevlar® synthetic aramid fiber. Among the numerous existing natural fibers with the potential for reinforcing polymer composites to replace Kevlar® in MAS, mallow fiber has not been fully investigated. Thus, the objective of this work is to evaluate the ballistic performance of epoxy composites reinforced with 30 vol.% of aligned mallow fibers as a second MAS layer backing a front ceramic plate. The results using high-velocity 7.62 ammunition show a similar indentation to a Kevlar® layer with the same thickness. An impedance matching calculation supports the similar ballistic performance of mallow fiber composite and Kevlar®. Reduced MAS costs associated with the mallow fiber composite are practical advantages over Kevlar®.

Dry sliding wear behavior of epoxy composite reinforced with short palmyra fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biswal, Somen; Satapathy, Alok

2016-01-01

The present work explores the possibility of using palmyra fiber as a replacement for synthetic fiber in conventional polymer composites for application against wear. An attempt has been made in this work to improve the sliding wear resistance of neat epoxy by reinforcing it with short palmyra fibers (SPF). Epoxy composites with different proportions (0, 4, 8 and 12 wt. %) of SPF are fabricated by conventional hand lay-up technique. Dry sliding wear tests are performed on the composite samples using a pin-on-disc test rig as per ASTM G 99-05 standards under various operating parameters. Design of experiment approach based on Taguchi's L16 Orthogonal Arrays is used for the analysis of the wear. This parametric analysis reveals that the SPF content is the most significant factor affecting the wear process followed by the sliding velocity. The sliding wear behavior of these composites under an extensive range of test conditions is predicted by a model based on the artificial neural network (ANN). A well trained ANN has been used to predict the sliding wear response of epoxy based composites over a wide range. (paper)

Designing of epoxy composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes grown carbon fiber fabric for improved electromagnetic interference shielding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. P. Singh

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In this letter, we report preparation of strongly anchored multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs carbon fiber (CF fabric preforms. These preforms were reinforced in epoxy resin to make multi scale composites for microwave absorption in the X-band (8.2-12.4GHz. The incorporation of MWCNTs on the carbon fabric produced a significant enhancement in the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI-SE from −29.4 dB for CF/epoxy-composite to −51.1 dB for CF-MWCNT/epoxy multiscale composites of 2 mm thickness. In addition to enhanced EMI-SE, interlaminar shear strength improved from 23 MPa for CF/epoxy-composites to 50 MPa for multiscale composites indicating their usefulness for making structurally strong microwave shields.

Chemical recycling of carbon fibers reinforced epoxy resin composites in oxygen in supercritical water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Yongping; Wang, Zhi; Feng, Liqun

2010-01-01

The carbon fibers in carbon fibers reinforced epoxy resin composites were recovered in oxygen in supercritical water at 30 ± 1 MPa and 440 ± 10 o C. The microstructure of the recovered carbon fibers was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atom force microscopy (AFM). The results revealed that the clean carbon fibers were recovered and had higher tensile strength relative to the virgin carbon fibers when the decomposition rate was above 85 wt.%, although the recovered carbon fibers have clean surface, the epoxy resin on the surface of the recovered carbon fibers was readily observed. As the decomposition rate increased to above 96 wt.%, no epoxy resin was observed on the surface of the carbon fibers and the oxidation of the recovered carbon fibers was readily measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The carbon fibers were ideally recovered and have original strength when the decomposition rates were between 94 and 97 wt.%. This study clearly showed the oxygen in supercritical water is a promising way for recycling the carbon fibers in carbon fibers reinforced resin composites.

FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF ALKALINE TREATED SUGAR PALM FIBRE REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Bachtiar

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A study of the effect of alkaline treatment on the flexural properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced epoxy composites is presented in this paper. The composites were reinforced with 10% weight fraction of the fibres. The fibres were treated using sodium hydroxide (NaOH with 0.25 M and 0.5 M concentration solution for 1 hour, 4 hours and 8 hours soaking time. The purpose of treating fibres with alkali was to enhance the interfacial bonding between matrix and fibre surfaces. The maximum flexural strength occurred at 0.25 M NaOH solution with 1 hour of soaking time, i.e 96.71 MPa, improving by 24.41% from untreated fibre composite. But, the maximum flexural modulus took place at 0.5 M NaOH solution with 4 hours soaking time, i.e. 6948 MPa, improving by 148% from untreated composite.

Failure phenomena in fibre-reinforced composites. Part 6: a finite element study of stress concentrations in unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, P.W.J.; Goutianos, S.; Young, R.J.; Peijs, A.A.J.M.

2004-01-01

A three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) analysis of the stress situation around a fibre break in a unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composite has been performed. Two cases were considered: (i) good fibre/matrix adhesion and (ii) fibre/matrix debonding. In the case of good adhesion,

Thermo-mechanical characterization of siliconized E-glass fiber/hematite particles reinforced epoxy resin hybrid composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arun Prakash, V.R., E-mail: vinprakash101@gmail.com; Rajadurai, A., E-mail: rajadurai@annauniv.edu.in

2016-10-30

Highlights: • Particles dimension have reduced using Ball milling process. • Importance of surface modification was explored. • Surface modification has been done to improve adhesion of fiber/particles with epoxy. • Mechanical properties has been increased by adding modified fiber and particles. • Thermal properties have been increased. - Abstract: In this present work hybrid polymer (epoxy) matrix composite has been strengthened with surface modified E-glass fiber and iron(III) oxide particles with varying size. The particle sizes of 200 nm and <100 nm has been prepared by high energy ball milling and sol-gel methods respectively. To enhance better dispersion of particles and improve adhesion of fibers and fillers with epoxy matrix surface modification process has been done on both fiber and filler by an amino functional silane 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS). Crystalline and functional groups of siliconized iron(III) oxide particles were characterized by XRD and FTIR spectroscopy analysis. Fixed quantity of surface treated 15 vol% E-glass fiber was laid along with 0.5 and 1.0 vol% of iron(III) oxide particles into the matrix to fabricate hybrid composites. The composites were cured by an aliphatic hardener Triethylenetetramine (TETA). Effectiveness of surface modified particles and fibers addition into the resin matrix were revealed by mechanical testing like tensile testing, flexural testing, impact testing, inter laminar shear strength and hardness. Thermal behavior of composites was evaluated by TGA, DSC and thermal conductivity (Lee’s disc). The scanning electron microscopy was employed to found shape and size of iron(III) oxide particles adhesion quality of fiber with epoxy matrix. Good dispersion of fillers in matrix was achieved with surface modifier APTMS. Tensile, flexural, impact and inter laminar shear strength of composites was improved by reinforcing surface modified fiber and filler. Thermal stability of epoxy resin was improved

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrey E. Krauklis

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer–Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Krauklis, Andrey E; Gagani, Abedin I; Echtermeyer, Andreas T

2018-04-11

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer-Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

Interface Bond Improvement of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Polylactide Composites with Added Epoxy Oligomer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Mingyang; Wu, Hongwu; Qiu, Feng; Wang, Xiwen

2018-03-07

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber-reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with addition of a commercial grade epoxy-functionalized oligomer Joncryl ADR @ -4368 (ADR). The FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis and SEM (scanning electron microscope) characterization demonstrated that the PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and the epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between the sisal fibers and the PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of the ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and the PLA matrix. These results were further justified with the calculation of activation energies of glass transition relaxation (∆ E a ) by dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened with the addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of the composites are the key points of this study.

Tribo-performance of epoxy hybrid composites reinforced with carbon fibers and potassium titanate whiskers

Science.gov (United States)

Suresha, B.; Harshavardhan, B.; Ravishankar, R.

2018-04-01

The present investigation deals with the fabrication and characterization of epoxy reinforced with bidirectional carbon fiber mat (CF/Ep) and filled with 2.5, 5 and 7.5 wt% potassium titanate whiskers (PTw) composites. The effect of PTw loading on hardness, tensile properties and dry sliding wear behaviour of CF/Ep composite were carefully investigated in expectation of providing valuable information for the application of hybrid CF/Ep composites. Results indicated that the incorporation of PTw actually improved the hardness, tensile strength and tensile modulus of CF/Ep composites. Meanwhile, the specific wear rate of CF/Ep filled by 5 wt % PTw reached to 6.3× 10-14 m3/N-m, which is 41% lower than that of CF/Ep composite at the same dry sliding condition. It also seen that the fiber and filler worked synergistically to enhance the wear resistance. Further, for all composites the friction coefficient increases with increase in load and sliding velocity. However, PTw reinforced CF/Ep exhibited considerably higher coefficient of friction compared to unfilled ones, while PTw filler loading of 5 wt% was effective in reducing the specific wear rate of CF/Ep composite. The carbon fiber carried the applied load between the contact surfaces and protected the epoxy from severe abrasion of the counterface. At the same time, the exposed PTw out of the epoxy matrix around the fiber inhibited the direct scraping between the fiber and counterface so that the fibers could be less directly impacted during the subsequent wear process and they were protected from severe damage.

Morphology and contact angle studies of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile modified epoxy resin blends and their glass fibre reinforced composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2007-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, the surface characteristics of blends and composites of epoxy resin were investigated. Poly(styrene-co-acylonitrile (SAN was used to modify diglycedyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA type epoxy resin cured with diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS and the modified epoxy resin was used as the matrix for fibre reinforced composites (FRP’s. E-glass fibre was used as the fibre reinforcement. The scanning electron micrographs of the fractured surfaces of the blends and composites were analyzed. Morphological analysis revealed different morphologies such as dispersed, cocontinuous and phase-inverted structures for the blends. Contact angle studies were carried out using water and methylene iodide at room temperature. The solid surface energy was calculated using harmonic mean equations. Blending of epoxy resin increases its contact angle. The surface free energy, work of adhesion, interfacial free energy, spreading coefficient and Girifalco-Good’s interaction parameter were changed significantly in the case of blends and composites. The incorporation of thermoplastic and glass fibre reduces the wetting and hydrophilicity of epoxy resin.

Thermomechanical response and toughening mechanisms of a carbon nano bead reinforced epoxy composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goyat, M.S., E-mail: goyatmanjeetsingh@gmail.com [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667 (India); Suresh, Sumit; Bahl, Sumit [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667 (India); Halder, Sudipta [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, 788010, Assam (India); Ghosh, P.K. [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667 (India)

2015-09-15

The current research on carbon nano beads (CNB) is focused on various applications such as high strength nanocomposites, electronic devices, lubricants, semiconductors, and high-performance batteries, etc. The commercial uses of CNB are yet juvenile for the market. Only limited results have been published so far on CNB reinforced polymers [1]. This study highlights the synthesis of uniform size, spherical CNB using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. The synthesized CNB are introduced into epoxy matrix by ultrasonic dual mode mixing route to produce CNB/epoxy nanocomposite. The CNB are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the CNB/epoxy nanocomposites is characterized by FESEM, Thermo-gravimetric analyzer and tensile and bending tests respectively. A noticeable improvement in thermal and mechanical properties of CNB reinforced epoxy matrix with low nanofiller content is observed. Several toughening mechanisms such as particle pull out, crack deflection, particle bridging, crack pinning, shear yielding or plastic deformation, and microcracking are identified. But, only the crack deflection, particle bridging and shear yielding or plastic deformations are recognized as the leading toughening mechanisms for CNB/epoxy nanocomposite. These results can be considered as symptomatic of a potential CNB espousal in new composites. - Highlights: • Synthesis of uniform size, spherical CNB using chemical vapour deposition method. • Fabrication of CNB/epoxy nanocomposites by ultrasonic dual mode mixing route. • Significant enhancement in thermomechanical properties of CNB/epoxy nanocomposite. • Main toughening mechanisms: Crack deflection, particle bridging and shear yielding.

Thermomechanical response and toughening mechanisms of a carbon nano bead reinforced epoxy composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goyat, M.S.; Suresh, Sumit; Bahl, Sumit; Halder, Sudipta; Ghosh, P.K.

2015-01-01

The current research on carbon nano beads (CNB) is focused on various applications such as high strength nanocomposites, electronic devices, lubricants, semiconductors, and high-performance batteries, etc. The commercial uses of CNB are yet juvenile for the market. Only limited results have been published so far on CNB reinforced polymers [1]. This study highlights the synthesis of uniform size, spherical CNB using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. The synthesized CNB are introduced into epoxy matrix by ultrasonic dual mode mixing route to produce CNB/epoxy nanocomposite. The CNB are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the CNB/epoxy nanocomposites is characterized by FESEM, Thermo-gravimetric analyzer and tensile and bending tests respectively. A noticeable improvement in thermal and mechanical properties of CNB reinforced epoxy matrix with low nanofiller content is observed. Several toughening mechanisms such as particle pull out, crack deflection, particle bridging, crack pinning, shear yielding or plastic deformation, and microcracking are identified. But, only the crack deflection, particle bridging and shear yielding or plastic deformations are recognized as the leading toughening mechanisms for CNB/epoxy nanocomposite. These results can be considered as symptomatic of a potential CNB espousal in new composites. - Highlights: • Synthesis of uniform size, spherical CNB using chemical vapour deposition method. • Fabrication of CNB/epoxy nanocomposites by ultrasonic dual mode mixing route. • Significant enhancement in thermomechanical properties of CNB/epoxy nanocomposite. • Main toughening mechanisms: Crack deflection, particle bridging and shear yielding.

Mechanical and morphological characterizations of carbon fiber fabric reinforced epoxy composites used in aeronautical field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane Maria Faulstich de Paiva

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRC have been used in aeronautical industry in the manufacture of different aircraft components that must attend tight mechanical requirements. This paper shows a study involving mechanical (flexural, shear, tensile and compressive tests and morphological characterizations of four different laminates based on 2 epoxy resin systems (8552TM and F584TM and 2 carbon fiber fabric reinforcements (Plain Weave (PW and Eight Harness Satin (8HS. All laminates were obtained by handing lay-up of prepregs plies (0º/90º and consolidation in an autoclave following an appropriate curing cycle with vacuum and pressure. The results show that the F584-epoxy matrix laminates present better mechanical properties in the tensile and compressive tests than 8552 composites. It is also observed that PW laminates for both matrices show better flexural and interlaminar shear properties.

Exposure Assessment of Particulate Matter from Abrasive Treatment of Carbon and Glass Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy-Composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Alexander C. Ø.; Levin, Marcus; Koivisto, Antti J.

2015-01-01

The use of composites is ever increasing due to their important structural and chemical features. The composite component production often involves high energy grinding and sanding processes to which emissions workers are potentially exposed. In this study we investigated the machining of carbon...... and glass fibre-reinforced epoxy composite materials at two facilities. We measured particle number concentrations and size distributions of the released material in near field and far field during sanding of glass-and carbon fibre-reinforced composites. We assessed the means of reducing exposure during...

Effect of Sodium bicarbonate on Fire behaviour of tilled E- Glass Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Girish, S.; Devendra, K.; Bharath, K. N.

2016-09-01

Composites such as fibre reinforced polymers give us the good mechanical properties, but their fire behaviour is not appreciable and needs to be improved. In this work, E- glass fiber is used as a reinforcement material and Epoxy resin is used as a matrix with particulate sodium bi-carbonate (NaHCO3) is used as additive. The hand lay-up technique is adopted for the development of composites by varying percentage of additive. All the tests were conducted according to ASTM standards to study the Fire behaviour of the developed composites. The different fire properties like Ignition time, mass loss rate and flame propagation rate of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) with NaHCO3 are compared with neat FRPs. It is found that the ignition time increases as the percentage of additive is increased.

Effect of elevated temperature on the tensile strength of Napier/glass-epoxy hybrid reinforced composites

Science.gov (United States)

Ridzuan, M. J. M.; Majid, M. S. Abdul; Afendi, M.; Firdaus, A. Z. Ahmad; Azduwin, K.

2017-11-01

The effects of elevated temperature on the tensile strength of Napier/glass-epoxy hybrid reinforced composites and its morphology of fractured surfaces are discussed. Napier/glass-epoxy hybrid reinforced composites were fabricated by using vacuum infusion method by arranging Napier fibres in between sheets of woven glass fibres. Napier and glass fibres were laminated with estimated volume ratios were 24 and 6 vol. %, respectively. The epoxy resin was used as matrix estimated to 70 vol. %. Specimens were tested to failure under tension at a cross-head speed of 1 mm/min using Universal Testing Machine (Instron) with a load cell 100 kN at four different temperatures of RT, 40°C, 60°C and 80°C. The morphology of fractured surface of hybrid composites was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The result shows reduction in tensile strength at elevated temperatures. The increase in the temperature activates the process of diffusion, and generates critical stresses which cause the damage at first-ply or at the centre of the hybrid plate, as a result lower the tensile strength. The observation of FESEM images indicates that the fracture mode is of evolution of localized damage, from fibre/matrix debonding, matric cracking, delamination and fibre breakage.

Improvement of Interfacial Adhesion of Incorporated Halloysite-Nanotubes in Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy-Based Composites

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Jin-Woo Lee

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The heart of composite materials depends on the characteristics of their interface. The physical properties of composite materials are often described by the rule of mixtures, representing the average physical properties of the reinforcement and the matrix resin. However, in practical applications there are situations which arise where the rule of mixtures is not followed. This is because when an external energy applied to the composite material is transferred from the matrix to the reinforcement, the final physical properties are affected by the interface between them rather than the intrinsic properties of both the reinforcement and the matrix. The internal bonding strength of the interface of these composites can be enhanced by enhancing the bonding strength by adding a small amount of material at the interface. In this study, the mechanical properties were evaluated by producing a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material and improved by dispersing halloysite nanotubes (HNTs and the epoxy resin using an ultrasonic homogenizer. The interfacial bond strength increased with the addition of HNT. On the other hand, the addition of HNTs more than 3 wt % did not show the reinforcing effect by HNT agglomeration.

Flexural Properties of Activated Carbon Filled Epoxy Nano composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, H.P.S.A.; Khalil, H.P.S.A.; Alothman, O.Y.; Paridah, M.T.; Zainudin, E.S.

2014-01-01

Activated carbon (AC) filled epoxy nano composites obtained by mixing the desired amount of nano AC viz., bamboo stem, oil palm empty fruit bunch, and coconut shell from agricultural biomass with the epoxy resin. Flexural properties of activated carbons filled epoxy nano composites with 1 %, and 5 % filler loading were measured. In terms of flexural strength and modulus, a significant increment was observed with addition of 1 % vol and 5 % vol nano-activated carbon as compared to neat epoxy. The effect of activated carbon treated by two chemical agents (potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid) on the flexural properties of epoxy nano composites were also investigated. Flexural strength of activated carbon-bamboo stem, activated carbon-oil palm, and activated carbon-coconut shell reinforced epoxy nano composites showed almost same value in case of 5 % potassium hydroxide activated carbon. Flexural strength of potassium hydroxide activated carbon-based epoxy nano composites was higher than phosphoric acid activated carbon. The flexural toughness of both the potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid activated carbon reinforced composites range between 0.79 - 0.92 J. It attributed that developed activated carbon filled epoxy nano composites can be used in different applications. (author)

Mechanical Characterization and Water Absorption Behaviour of Interwoven Kenaf/PET Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakubu Dan-mallam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The development of interwoven fabric for composite production is a novel approach that can be adopted to address the challenges of balanced mechanical properties and water absorption behaviour of polymer composites. In this paper, kenaf and PET (polyethylene terephthalate fibre were selected as reinforcing materials to develop the woven fabric, and low viscosity epoxy resin was chosen as the matrix. Vacuum infusion process was adopted to produce the hybrid composite due to its superior advantages over hand lay-up technique. The weight percentage composition of the Epoxy/kenaf/PET hybrid composite was maintained at 70/15/15 and 60/20/20, respectively. A significant increase in tensile strength and elastic modulus of approximately 73% and 53% was recorded in relation to neat epoxy. Similarly, a substantial increase in flexural, impact, and interlaminar properties was also realized in relation to neat epoxy. This enhancement in mechanical properties may be attributed to the interlocking structure of the interwoven fabric, individual properties of kenaf and PET fibres, strong interfacial bonding, and resistance of the fibres to impact loading. The water absorption of the composites was studied by prolonged exposure in distilled water, and the moisture absorption pattern was found to follow Fickian behaviour.

Effect of fiber content on the thermal conductivity and dielectric constant of hair fiber reinforced epoxy composite

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad Nanda, Bishnu; Satapathy, Alok

2018-03-01

This paper reports on the dielectric and thermal properties of hair fibers reinforced epoxy composites. Hair is an important part of human body which also offers protection to the human body. It is also viewed as a biological waste which is responsible for creating environmental pollution due to its low decomposition rate. But at the same time it has unique microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties. In the present work, epoxy composites are made by solution casting method with different proportions of short hair fiber (SHF). Effects of fiber content on the thermal conductivity and dielectric constant of epoxy resin are studied. Thermal conductivities of the composites are obtained using a UnithermTM Model 2022 tester. An HIOKI-3532-50 Hi Tester Elsier Analyzer is used for measuring the capacitance of the epoxy-SHF composite, from which dielectric constant (Dk) of the composite are calculated. A reduction in thermal conductivity of the composite is noticed with the increase in wt. % of fiber. The dielectric constant value of the composites also found to be significantly affected by the fiber content.

Natural Mallow Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composite for Ballistic Armor Against Class III-A Ammunition

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Lucio Fabio Cassiano; Holanda, Luane Isquerdo Ferreira; Louro, Luis Henrique Leme; Monteiro, Sergio Neves; Gomes, Alaelson Vieira; Lima, Édio Pereira

2017-10-01

Epoxy matrix composites reinforced with up to 30 vol pct of continuous and aligned natural mallow fibers were for the first time ballistic tested as personal armor against class III-A 9 mm FMJ ammunition. The ballistic efficiency of these composites was assessed by measuring the dissipated energy and residual velocity after the bullet perforation. The results were compared to those in similar tests of aramid fabric (Kevlar™) commonly used in vests for personal protections. Visual inspection and scanning electron microscopy analysis of impact-fractured samples revealed failure mechanisms associated with fiber pullout and rupture as well as epoxy cracking. As compared to Kevlar™, the mallow fiber composite displayed practically the same ballistic efficiency. However, there is a reduction in both weight and cost, which makes the mallow fiber composites a promising material for personal ballistic protection.

Mechanical Property Analysis on Sandwich Structured Hybrid Composite Made from Natural Fibre, Glass Fibre and Ceramic Fibre Wool Reinforced with Epoxy Resin

Science.gov (United States)

Bharat, K. R.; Abhishek, S.; Palanikumar, K.

2017-06-01

Natural fibre composites find wide range of applications and usage in the automobile and manufacturing industries. They find lack in desired properties, which are required for present applications. In current scenario, many developments in composite materials involve the synthesis of Hybrid composite materials to overcome some of the lacking properties. In this present investigation, two sandwich structured hybrid composite materials have been made by reinforcing Aloe Vera-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and Sisal fibre-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and its mechanical properties such as Tensile, Flexural and Impact are tested and analyzed. The test results from the two samples are compared and the results show that sisal fibre reinforced hybrid composite has better mechanical properties than aloe vera reinforced hybrid composite.

Effect of surface treatment on mechanical properties of glass fiber/stainless steel wire mesh reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

N, Karunagaran [S.K.P Engineering College, Tiruvannamalai (India); A, Rajadurai [Anna University, Chennai (India)

2016-06-15

This paper investigates the effect of surface treatment for glass fiber, stainless steel wire mesh on tensile, flexural, inter-laminar shear and impact properties of glass fiber/stainless steel wire mesh reinforced epoxy hybrid composites. The glass fiber fabric is surface treated either by 1 N solution of sulfuric acid or 1 N solution of sodium hydroxide. The stainless steel wire mesh is also surface treated by either electro dissolution or sand blasting. The hybrid composites are fabricated using epoxy resin reinforced with glass fiber and fine stainless steel wire mesh by hand lay-up technique at room temperature. The hybrid composite consisting of acid treated glass fiber and sand blasted stainless steel wire mesh exhibits a good combination of tensile, flexural, inter-laminar shear and impact behavior in comparison with the composites made without any surface treatment. The fine morphological modifications made on the surface of the glass fiber and stainless steel wire mesh enhances the bonding between the resin and reinforcement which inturn improved the tensile, flexural, inter-laminar shear and impact properties.

Enhancement of mechanical and electrical properties of continuous-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites with stacked graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Naveh, Naum; Shepelev, Olga; Kenig, Samuel

2017-01-01

Impregnation of expandable graphite (EG) after thermal treatment with an epoxy resin containing surface-active agents (SAAs) enhanced the intercalation of epoxy monomer between EG layers and led to further exfoliation of the graphite, resulting in stacks of few graphene layers, so-called "stacked" graphene (SG). This process enabled electrical conductivity of cured epoxy/SG composites at lower percolation thresholds, and improved thermo-mechanical properties were measured with either Kevlar, carbon or glass-fiber-reinforced composites. Several compositions with SAA-modified SG led to higher dynamic moduli especially at high temperatures, reflecting the better wetting ability of the modified nanoparticles. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the SAA dictates the surface energy balance. More hydrophilic SAAs promoted localization of the SG at the Kevlar/epoxy interface, and morphology seems to be driven by thermodynamics, rather than the kinetic effect of viscosity. This effect was less obvious with carbon or glass fibers, due to the lower surface energy of the carbon fibers or some incompatibility with the glass-fiber sizing. Proper choice of the surfactant and fine-tuning of the crosslink density at the interphase may provide further enhancements in thermo-mechanical behavior.

Enhancement of mechanical and electrical properties of continuous-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites with stacked graphene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naum Naveh

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Impregnation of expandable graphite (EG after thermal treatment with an epoxy resin containing surface-active agents (SAAs enhanced the intercalation of epoxy monomer between EG layers and led to further exfoliation of the graphite, resulting in stacks of few graphene layers, so-called “stacked” graphene (SG. This process enabled electrical conductivity of cured epoxy/SG composites at lower percolation thresholds, and improved thermo-mechanical properties were measured with either Kevlar, carbon or glass-fiber-reinforced composites. Several compositions with SAA-modified SG led to higher dynamic moduli especially at high temperatures, reflecting the better wetting ability of the modified nanoparticles. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the SAA dictates the surface energy balance. More hydrophilic SAAs promoted localization of the SG at the Kevlar/epoxy interface, and morphology seems to be driven by thermodynamics, rather than the kinetic effect of viscosity. This effect was less obvious with carbon or glass fibers, due to the lower surface energy of the carbon fibers or some incompatibility with the glass-fiber sizing. Proper choice of the surfactant and fine-tuning of the crosslink density at the interphase may provide further enhancements in thermo-mechanical behavior.

Mechanical Reinforcement of Epoxy Composites with Carbon Fibers and HDPE

Science.gov (United States)

He, R.; Chang, Q.; Huang, X.; Li, J.

2018-01-01

Silanized carbon fibers (CFs) and a high-density polyethylene with amino terminal groups (HDPE) were introduced into epoxy resins to fabricate high-performance composites. A. mechanical characterization of the composites was performed to investigate the effect of CFs in cured epoxy/HDPE systems. The composites revealed a noticeable improvement in the tensile strength, elongation at break, flexural strength, and impact strength in comparison with those of neat epoxy and cured epoxy/HDPE systems. SEM micrographs showed that the toughening effect could be explained by yield deformations, phase separation, and microcracking.

Micro/Nanomechanical characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced epoxy composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Peng; Wang, Xinnan; Tangpong, X W

2012-11-01

In this paper, the mechanical properties of 1 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) reinforced epoxy nanocomposites were characterized using a self-designed micro/nano three point bending tester that was on an atomic force microscope (AFM) to in situ observe MWCNTs movement on the sample surface under loading. The migration of an individual MWCNT at the surface of the nanocomposite was tracked to address the nanomechanical reinforcing mechanism of the nanocomposites. Through morphology analysis of the nanocomposite via scanning electron microscopy, AFM, and digital image correlation technique, it was found that the MWCNTs agglomerate and the bundles were the main factors for limiting the bending strength of the composites. The agglomeration/bundle effect was included in the Halpin-Tsai model to account for the elastic modulus of the nanocomposites.

Tribological performance of the epoxy-based composite reinforced by WS2 fullerene-like nanoparticles and nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shneider, Mark; Dodiuk, Hanna; Kenig, Shmuel; Rapoport, Lev; Moshkovich, Alexey; Zak, Alla; Tenne, Reshef

2013-01-01

Recently large amounts of inorganic nanotubes (INT) and inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles of WS 2 became available and methods for their dispersion in different media were developed. In the present work the tribological properties of epoxy composite compounded with tungsten disulfide particles of different sizes and morphologies, including quasi-spherical IF nanoparticles, one-dimensional INT as well as micron-size platelets (2H) were investigated. The coefficient of friction and wear loss were measured under dry contact conditions using different tribological rigs. Remarkable reduction in wear and also friction (under high load) was demonstrated for the IF/INT epoxy nanocomposite. The reduced wear is attributed in general to the reinforcement of the polymer matrix by nanoparticles and the simultaneous reduction of the epoxy brittleness. Contrarily, the friction of the neat epoxy sample and epoxy mixed with platelets was accompanied with strong wear and transfer of a polymer film onto the rubbed surfaces. These results are consistent with the recently reported improvements in the fracture toughness, peel and shear strength of the epoxy-nanoparticles (IF/INT) composites. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The failure mode of natural silk epoxy triggered composite tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eshkour, R A; Ariffin, A K; Zulkifli, R; Sulong, A B; Azhari, C H

2012-01-01

In this study the quasi static compression test over natural silk epoxy triggered composite tubes has been carried out, the natural silk epoxy composite tubes consist of 24 layer of woven natural silk as reinforcement and thermoset epoxy resin as matrix which both of them i e natural silk and epoxy have excellent mechanical properties More over the natural silk have better moisture resistance in comparison with other natural reinforcements, the length of tubes are 50, 80 and 120 mm The natural silk epoxy composite tubes are associated with an external trigger which includes 4 steel pieces welded on downside flat plate fixture The hand lay up fabrication method has been used to make the natural silk epoxy composite tubes Instron universal testing machine with 250 KN load capacity has been employed to accomplish this investigation The failure modes of natural silk epoxy triggered composite tubes has been investigated by representative photographs which has been taken by a high resolution camera(12 2 Mp) during the quasi static compression test, from the photographs is observed the failure modes is progressive local buckling

Effect of γ irradiation on the properties of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ran; Gu, Yizhuo; Yang, Zhongjia; Li, Min; Wang, Shaokai; Zhang, Zuoguang

2015-01-01

Gamma-ray (γ-ray) irradiation is a crucial reason for the aging in materials used for nuclear industry. Due to high specific strength and stiffness, light weight and good corrosion resistance, fiber reinforced composites are regarded as an alternative of traditional materials used on nuclear facilities. In this study, basalt fiber (BF)/AG80 epoxy composite laminates were fabricated by autoclave process and treated with "6"0Co gamma irradiation dose up to 2.0 MGy. Irradiation induced polymer chain scission and oxidation of AG80 resin were detected from physical and chemical analysis. The experimental results show that the tensile and flexural performances of irradiated BF/AG80 composite maintain stable and have a low amplitude attenuation respectively, and the interlaminar shear strength has increased from irradiation dose of 0–1.5 MGy. Furthermore, the comparison between the studied BF composite and reported polymer and composite materials was done for evaluating the γ resistance property of BF composite. - Highlights: • The properties of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composite under "6"0Co γ irradiation up to 2.0 MGy were studied. • Basalt fiber can weaken the aging effects of γ irradiation on the resin matrix. • Tensile property of basalt fiber composite remains stable and flexural property has a low degree of attenuation. • Basalt fiber composite is an ideal candidate of structural material for nuclear industry.

Mechanical performance of oil palm empty fruit bunches/jute fibres reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jawaid, M. [School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Abdul Khalil, H.P.S., E-mail: akhalilhps@gmail.com [School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Abu Bakar, A. [School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang (Malaysia)

2010-11-15

Research highlights: {yields} Hybrid composites constituents of natural fibres show good mechanical performances. {yields} Hybridization with 20% jute fibre gives rise to sufficient modulus to composites. {yields} Outer or core material affect mechanical performance of hybrid composites. {yields} Impact strength of pure EFB composite is higher than hybrid composites. - Abstract: Oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB)/jute fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composites with different sequence of fibre mat arrangement such as EFB/jute/EFB and jute/EFB/jute were fabricated by hand lay-up method. The effect of layering patterns on the mechanical performance of the composites was studied. The hybrid composites are intended for engineering applications as an alternative to synthetic fibre composites. Mechanical performance of hybrid composites were evaluated and compared with the pure EFB, pure jute composites and neat epoxy using flexural and impact testing. The flexural properties of hybrid composite is higher than that of pure EFB composite with respect to the weight fraction of fibre, where as the impact strength of pure EFB composite is much higher than those of hybrid composites. The flexural results were interpreted using sandwich theory. The fracture surface morphology of the impact testing samples of the hybrid composites was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Mechanical performance of oil palm empty fruit bunches/jute fibres reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jawaid, M.; Abdul Khalil, H.P.S.; Abu Bakar, A.

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Hybrid composites constituents of natural fibres show good mechanical performances. → Hybridization with 20% jute fibre gives rise to sufficient modulus to composites. → Outer or core material affect mechanical performance of hybrid composites. → Impact strength of pure EFB composite is higher than hybrid composites. - Abstract: Oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB)/jute fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composites with different sequence of fibre mat arrangement such as EFB/jute/EFB and jute/EFB/jute were fabricated by hand lay-up method. The effect of layering patterns on the mechanical performance of the composites was studied. The hybrid composites are intended for engineering applications as an alternative to synthetic fibre composites. Mechanical performance of hybrid composites were evaluated and compared with the pure EFB, pure jute composites and neat epoxy using flexural and impact testing. The flexural properties of hybrid composite is higher than that of pure EFB composite with respect to the weight fraction of fibre, where as the impact strength of pure EFB composite is much higher than those of hybrid composites. The flexural results were interpreted using sandwich theory. The fracture surface morphology of the impact testing samples of the hybrid composites was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Analysis of the mechanical and thermal properties of jute and glass fiber as reinforcement epoxy hybrid composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Braga, R A; Magalhaes, P A A

2015-11-01

This work describes the study to investigate and compare the mechanical and thermal properties of raw jute and glass fiber reinforced epoxy hybrid composites. To improve the mechanical properties, jute fiber was hybridized with glass fiber. Epoxy resin, jute and glass fibers were laminated in three weight ratios (69/31/0, 68/25/7 and 64/18/19) respectively to form composites. The tensile, flexural, impact, density, thermal and water absorption tests were carried out using hybrid composite samples. This study shows that the addition of jute fiber and glass fiber in epoxy, increases the density, the impact energy, the tensile strength and the flexural strength, but decreases the loss mass in function of temperature and the water absorption. Morphological analysis was carried out to observe fracture behavior and fiber pull-out of the samples using scanning electron microscope. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of interlaminar graphene nano-sheets reinforced e-glass fiber/ epoxy on low velocity impact response of a composite plate

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Maharma, A. Y.; Sendur, P.

2018-05-01

In this study, we compare the inter-laminar effect of graphene nano-sheets (GNSs) and CNTs on the single and multiple dynamic impact response of E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite (GFEP). In the comparisons, raw GFEP composite is used as baseline for quantifying the improvement on the dynamic impact response. For that purpose, finite element based models are developed for GNSs on GFEP, graphene coating on glass fibers, inter-laminar composite of CNTs reinforced polyester at 7.5 vol%, and combinations of all these reinforcements. Comparisons are made on three metrics: (i) total deformation, (ii) the contact force, and (iii) internal energy of the composite plate. The improvement on axial modulus (E1) of GFEP reinforced with one layer of GNS (0.5 wt%) without polyester at lamination sequence of [0]8 is 29.4%, which is very close to the improvement of 31% on storage modulus for multi-layer graphene with 0.5 wt% reinforced E-glass/epoxy composite at room temperature. Using three GNSs (1.5 wt%) reinforced polyester composite as interlaminar layer results in an improvement of 57.1% on E1 of GFEP composite. The simulation results reveal that the interlaminar three GNSs/polyester composite at mid-plane of GFEP laminated composite can significantly improve the dynamic impact resistance of GFEP structure compared to the other aforementioned structural reinforcements. Reinforcing GFEP composite with three layers of GNSs/polyester composite at mid-plane results in an average of 35% improvement on the dynamic impact resistance for healthy and damaged composite plate under low velocity impacts of single and multiple steel projectiles. This model can find application in various areas including structural health monitoring, fire retardant composite, and manufacturing of high strength and lightweight mechanical parts such as gas tank, aircraft wings and wind turbine blades.

Mechanical properties of unidirectional oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber reinforced epoxy composite

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, C. S.; Yeo, C. W.; Sahari, B.; Salit, M. S.; Aziz, N. Abdul

2017-06-01

Natural fibers have proven to be an excellent reinforcement material for various polymers. In this study, OPEFB fiber with unidirectional alignment was incorporated in epoxy and an investigation on tensile and flexural characteristics of the composite has been carried out. A fiber surface modification utilizing alkaline treatment with 1 sodium hydroxide solution was used in order to increase the fiber matrix bond in the composite. The investigation was carried out for 0°, 45° and 90° fiber orientation. Result showed that the higher the angle of the fiber orientation, the higher the tensile strength and flexural strength the composite will yield.

Tribological performance of the epoxy-based composite reinforced by WS{sub 2} fullerene-like nanoparticles and nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shneider, Mark; Dodiuk, Hanna; Kenig, Shmuel [Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat Gan 52526 (Israel); Rapoport, Lev; Moshkovich, Alexey; Zak, Alla [Department of Science, Holon Academic Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 305, Holon 58102 (Israel); Tenne, Reshef [Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100 (Israel)

2013-11-15

Recently large amounts of inorganic nanotubes (INT) and inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles of WS{sub 2} became available and methods for their dispersion in different media were developed. In the present work the tribological properties of epoxy composite compounded with tungsten disulfide particles of different sizes and morphologies, including quasi-spherical IF nanoparticles, one-dimensional INT as well as micron-size platelets (2H) were investigated. The coefficient of friction and wear loss were measured under dry contact conditions using different tribological rigs. Remarkable reduction in wear and also friction (under high load) was demonstrated for the IF/INT epoxy nanocomposite. The reduced wear is attributed in general to the reinforcement of the polymer matrix by nanoparticles and the simultaneous reduction of the epoxy brittleness. Contrarily, the friction of the neat epoxy sample and epoxy mixed with platelets was accompanied with strong wear and transfer of a polymer film onto the rubbed surfaces. These results are consistent with the recently reported improvements in the fracture toughness, peel and shear strength of the epoxy-nanoparticles (IF/INT) composites. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Flexural properties of treated and untreated kenaf/epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousif, B.F.; Shalwan, A.; Chin, C.W.; Ming, K.C.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Untreated kenaf fibre/epoxy composites. Treated kenaf fibre/epoxy composites. Highlights: ► Treatment of kenaf fibres with 6% NaOH has improved the flexural properties of epoxy composites. ► Interfacial adhesion of the natural fibres is controlled by the microstructure of the fibres. ► Kenaf fibres have a potential to replace glass fibres for flexural applications. -- Abstract: In the current work, flexural properties of unidirectional long kenaf fibre reinforced epoxy (KFRE) composites are studied. The kenaf fibres were prepared into two types as untreated and treated (with 6% NaOH). The failure mechanism and damage features of the materials were categorized with the surface observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results revealed that reinforcement of epoxy with treated kenaf fibres increased the flexural strength of the composite by about 36%, while, untreated fibres introduced 20% improvement. This was mainly due to the high improvement of the chemical treatment (NaOH) on the interfacial adhesion of the fibres and the porosity of the composites which prevented the debonding, detachments or pull out of fibres. For untreated KFRE, the fracture mechanisms were debonding, tearing, detachments and pull out of fibres. The developed composite exhibited superior properties compared to the previous composites based on natural and synthetic fibres.

The effect of alkaline treatment on tensile properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bachtiar, D.; Sapuan, S.M.; Hamdan, M.M.

2008-01-01

A study on the effect of alkaline treatment on tensile properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced epoxy composites is presented in this paper. The treatment was carried out using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions at two different concentrations and three different soaking times. The hydrophilic nature of sugar palm fibre makes it difficult to adhere to hydrophobic epoxy and therefore posed the problem of interfacial bonding between fibre and matrix and such treatment was needed to alleviate such problem. The composite specimens were tested for tensile property determination. Some fractured specimens were examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study the microstructure of the materials. Inconsistent results were obtained for tensile strengths, which indicate that the treatment is not very effective yet to improve the interfacial bonding. However, for tensile modulus, the results are much higher than untreated fibre composite specimens, which proved the effectiveness of the treatment

GLASS-FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITES: THE EFFECT OF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HOD

mechanical and corrosion wear behaviour of any reinforced composites. In other ..... physical properties of glass fibre reinforced epoxy resin and the following .... waste in concrete and cement composites," Journal of Cleaner Production, vol.

Tribological properties of epoxy composite coatings reinforced with functionalized C-BN and H-BN nanofillers

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jingjing; Zhao, Wenjie; Wu, Yinghao; Wang, Deliang; Feng, Ruotao

2018-03-01

A series of epoxy resin (EP) composite coatings reinforced with functionalized cubic boron nitride (FC-BN) and functionalized hexagonal boron nitride (FH-BN) were fabricated successfully on 316L stainless steel by hand lay-up technique. The structure properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphologies were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, UMT-3 tribometer and surface profiler were used to investigate tribological behaviors of as-prepared composite coatings under dry friction and seawater conditions respectively. The results demonstrated that the presence of FC-BN or FH-BN fillers could greatly decrease the friction coefficient (COF) and wear rate of epoxy, in addition, composite coatings possess better tribological properties under seawater condition which was attributed to the lubricating effect of seawater. Moreover, FC-BN endows the composite coatings the highest wear resistance, and FH-BN /EP composite coatings exhibited the best friction reduction performance which is attributed to the self-lubricating performance of lamella structure for FH-BN sheet.

Energy absorption and failure response of silk/epoxy composite square tubes: Experimental

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oshkovr, Simin Ataollahi; Taher, Siavash Talebi; A. Eshkoor, Rahim

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on natural silk/epoxy composite square tubes energy absorption and failure response. The tested specimens were featured by a material combination of different lengths and same numbers of natural silk/epoxy composite layers in form of reinforced woven fabric in thermosetting epoxy...

Study on the influence of design parameters on the damping property of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharjee, A.; Nanda, B. K.

2018-04-01

Fiber reinforced composites are widely used in industrial applications due to their high strength, light weight and ease in manufacturing. In applications such as automotive, aerospace and structural parts, the components are subjected to unwanted vibrations which reduce their service life, accuracy as well as increases noise. Therefore, it is essential to avoid the detrimental effects of vibrations by enhancing their damping characteristics. The current research deals with estimating the damping properties of Glass fiber reinforced epoxy (GFRE) composites. Processing of the GFRE composites is carried out using hand-lay technique. Various design parameters such as number of glass fiber layers, orientation of fibers and weight ratio are varied while manufacturing GFRE composites. The effects of variation of these design parameters on damping property of GFRE composites are studied extensively.

Pristine and γ-irradiated halloysite reinforced epoxy nanocomposites - Insight study

Science.gov (United States)

Saif, Muhammad Jawwad; Naveed, Muhammad; Zia, Khalid Mahmood; Asif, Muhammad

2016-10-01

The present study focuses on development of epoxy system reinforced with naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). A comparative study is presented describing the performance of pristine and γ-irradiated HNTs in an epoxy matrix. The γ-irradiation treatment was used for structural modification of natural pristine HNTs under air sealed environment at different absorbed doses and subsequently these irradiated HNTs were incorporated in epoxy resin with various wt% loadings. The consequences of γ-irradiation on HNTs were studied by FTIR and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) in terms of changes in functional groups and crystalline characteristics. An improvement is observed in mechanical properties and crack resistance of composites reinforced with γ-irradiated HNTs. The irradiated HNTs imparted an improved flexural and tensile strength/modulus along with better thermal performance.

UV resistibility of a nano-ZnO/glass fibre reinforced epoxy composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Tsz-ting; Lau, Kin-tak; Tam, Wai-yin; Leng, Jinsong; Etches, Julie A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A GFRE composite with UV resistibility is introduced. • The bonding behaviour and UV resistibility of the composite were studied upon the addition of nano-ZnO particles. • The solvent effect in the dispersion of nano-ZnO particles was also studied. • The nano-ZnO/GFRE composite shows effective UV absorption with enhanced bonding behaviour. - Abstract: The harmfulness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR) to human health and polymer degradation has been the focus recently in all engineering industries. A polymer-based composite filled with nano-ZnO particles can enhance its UV resistibility. It has been found that the use of appropriate amount of nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol solvent to prepare a UV resistant nano-ZnO/glass fibre reinforced epoxy (ZGFRE) composite can effectively block the UV transmission with negligible influence on the crystal structure of its resin system. This paper aims at investigating the interfacial bonding behaviour and UV resistibility of a ZGFRE composite. The solvent effect in relation to the dispersion properties of ZnO in the composite is also discussed. XRD results indicated that 20 wt% Isopropyl alcohol was an effective solvent for filling nano-ZnO particles into an epoxy. SEM examination also showed that the bonding behaviour between glass fibre and matrix was enhanced after filling 20 wt% nano-ZnO particles with 20 wt% Isopropyl alcohol into the composite. Samples filled with 20 wt% nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol and 40 wt% nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol has full absorption of UVA (315–400 nm), UVB (280–315 nm) and a part of UVC (190–280 nm)

Preparation and Performance of Amphiphilic Random Copolymer Noncovalently Modified MWCNTs/Epoxy Composite

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MA Qiang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available An amphiphilic random copolymer of polyglycidyl methacrylate-co-N-vinyl carbazole P(GMA-co-NVC was synthesized by free radical polymerization and was used to noncovalently modify multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs. The obtained P(GMA-co-NVC/MWCNTs was mixed with epoxy resin and used to reinforce epoxy resin. Polymer modified carbon nanotubes/epoxy resin composites were prepared by a casting molding method. Tensile test, electrical resistivity test and differential scanning calorimeter(DSC analysis were used to study the effect of polymer modified carbon nanotubes on the mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of epoxy resin. The results show that the epoxy composite reinforced with P(GMA-co-NVC/MWCNTs shows a remarkable enhancement in both tensile strength and elongation at break compared to either the pure epoxy or the pristine MWCNTs/epoxy composites. In addition, the electrical conductivity of epoxy is significantly improved and the volume resistivity decreases from 1014Ω·m to 106Ω·m with 0.25% mass fraction loading of P(GMA-co-NVC/MWCNTs. Moreover, glass transition temperature of the epoxy composite also increases from 144℃ to 149℃.

Pristine and γ-irradiated halloysite reinforced epoxy nanocomposites – Insight study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saif, Muhammad Jawwad; Naveed, Muhammad; Zia, Khalid Mahmood; Asif, Muhammad

2016-01-01

The present study focuses on development of epoxy system reinforced with naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). A comparative study is presented describing the performance of pristine and γ-irradiated HNTs in an epoxy matrix. The γ-irradiation treatment was used for structural modification of natural pristine HNTs under air sealed environment at different absorbed doses and subsequently these irradiated HNTs were incorporated in epoxy resin with various wt% loadings. The consequences of γ-irradiation on HNTs were studied by FTIR and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) in terms of changes in functional groups and crystalline characteristics. An improvement is observed in mechanical properties and crack resistance of composites reinforced with γ-irradiated HNTs. The irradiated HNTs imparted an improved flexural and tensile strength/modulus along with better thermal performance. - Highlights: • The γ-irradiation was used for structural modification of halloysite nanotubes. • Composite materials with irradiated HNTs showed improved mechanical properties. • The γ-irradiation treatment is a promising surface modification method.

Analysis of the mechanical and thermal properties of jute and glass fiber as reinforcement epoxy hybrid composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braga, R.A., E-mail: roney.braga@fiat.com.br [FIAT Automóveis S.A., Teardown, CEP 32530-000 Betim, MG (Brazil); Magalhaes, P.A.A., E-mail: pamerico@pucminas.br [PUC—MINAS, Instituto Politécnico, CEP 30535-610 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2015-11-01

This work describes the study to investigate and compare the mechanical and thermal properties of raw jute and glass fiber reinforced epoxy hybrid composites. To improve the mechanical properties, jute fiber was hybridized with glass fiber. Epoxy resin, jute and glass fibers were laminated in three weight ratios (69/31/0, 68/25/7 and 64/18/19) respectively to form composites. The tensile, flexural, impact, density, thermal and water absorption tests were carried out using hybrid composite samples. This study shows that the addition of jute fiber and glass fiber in epoxy, increases the density, the impact energy, the tensile strength and the flexural strength, but decreases the loss mass in function of temperature and the water absorption. Morphological analysis was carried out to observe fracture behavior and fiber pull-out of the samples using scanning electron microscope. - Highlights: • The work is the study of the mechanical of raw jute and glass fiber with epoxy resin. • The mechanical properties increased with more proportions of glass fibers. • The density of E69-J31-V0 was the lower. • The flexural strength did not have a significant increase. • The water absorption of E69-J31-V0 was the best.

Analysis and modeling of delamination factor in drilling of woven kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy using Box Behnken experimental design

Science.gov (United States)

Suhaily, M.; Che Hassan, C. H.; Jaharah, A. G.; Afifah, M. A.; Nor Khairusshima, M. K.

2018-01-01

In this research study, it presents a comprehensive mathematical model for correlating the influences of drilling parameters on the delamination factor during the drilling of woven kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy composite laminates using the Box Behnken experimental design. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of drilling parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate and drill sizes on the delamination produced when drilling woven kenaf reinforced epoxy composite using the non-coated HSS drill bits. The damage generated on the woven kenaf reinforced epoxy composite laminates were observed both at the entrance and exit surface during the drilling operation. The experiments were conducted according to the Box Behnken experimental designs.

Evaluation of mechanical properties of hybrid fiber (hemp, jute, kevlar) reinforced composites

Science.gov (United States)

Suresha, K. V.; Shivanand, H. K.; Amith, A.; Vidyasagar, H. N.

2018-04-01

In today's world composites play wide role in all the engineering fields. The reinforcement of composites decides the properties of the material. Natural fiber composites compared to synthetic fiber possesses poor mechanical properties. The solution for this problem is to use combination of natural fiber and synthetic fiber. Hybridization helps to improve the overall mechanical properties of the material. In this study, hybrid reinforced composites of Hemp fabric/Kevlar fabric/Epoxy and Jute fabric/ Kevlar fabric/Epoxy composites are fabricated using Simple hand layup technique followed by Vacuum bagging process. Appropriate test methods as per standards and guidelines are followed to analyze mechanical behavior of the composites. The mechanical characteristics like tensile, compression and flexural properties of the hybrid reinforced composites are tested as per the ASTM standards by series of tensile test; compression test and three point bending tests were conducted on the hybrid composites. A quantitative relationship between the Hemp fabric/Kevlar fabric/Epoxy and Jute/ Kevlar fabric/Epoxy has been established with constant thickness.

Evaluation of Mechanical Properties and Morphological Studies of Rice Husk (Treated/Untreated)-CaCO3 Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Deepak; Joshi, Garvit; Gupta, Ayush

2016-10-01

Natural fiber reinforced composites are a very popular area of research because of the easy availability and biodegradability of these fibers. The manufacturing of natural fiber composite is done by reinforcing fibers in the particulate form, fiber form or in woven mat form. Natural fiber composites also utilize industrial wastes as a secondary reinforcements like fly ash, sludge etc. By keeping all these point of views in the present investigation the effect of rice husk flour (chemically treated/untreated) and micro sized calcium carbonate with epoxy resin have been evaluated. The diameter of rice husk flour was maintained at 600 µm through mechanical sieving machine. The husk flour was chemically treated with NaOH (5 % w/v). Mechanical properties like hardness, flexural impact and compression strength were evaluated and found to be superior in modified or chemically treated flour as compared to unmodified or untreated flour reinforced composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study was also undertaken for the developed composites. SEM study shows the distribution of the rice husk flour and calcium carbonate over the matrix.

Development of ricehusk ash reinforced bismaleimide toughened epoxy nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Kanimozhi, K.; Sethuraman, K.; Selvaraj, V.; Alagar, M.

2014-01-01

Recent past decades have witnessed remarkable advances in composites with potential applications in biomedical devices, aerospace, textiles, civil engineering, energy, electronic engineering, and household products. Thermoset polymer composites have further enhanced and broadened the area of applications of composites. In the present work epoxy-BMI toughened-silica hybrid (RHA/DGEBA-BMI) was prepared using bismaleimide as toughener, bisphenol-A as matrix and a silica precursor derived from rice husk ash as reinforcement with glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as coupling agent. Differential scanning calorimetry, electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and goniometry were used to characterize RHA/DGEBA-BMI composites developed in the present work. Tensile, impact and flexural strength, tensile and flexural modulus, hardness, dielectric properties were also studied and discussed. The hybrid nanocomposites possess the higher values of the glass transition temperature (Tg) and mechanical properties than those of neat epoxy matrix. PMID:25279372

Influence of Coating with Some Natural Based Materials on the Erosion Wear Behavior of Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin

OpenAIRE

Aseel Basim Abdul Hussein; Emad Saadi AL-Hassani; Reem Alaa Mohamed

2015-01-01

In the present study, composites were prepared by Hand lay-up molding. The composites constituents were epoxy resin as a matrix, 6% volume fractions of glass fibers (G.F) as reinforcement and 3%, 6% volume fractions of preparation natural material (Rice Husk Ash, Carrot Powder, and Sawdust) as filler. Studied the erosion wear behavior and coating by natural wastes (Rice Husk Ash) with epoxy resin after erosion. The results showed the non – reinforced epoxy have lower resistance erosion than n...

Fracto-emission from graphite/epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Dickinson, J. T.

1983-01-01

Fracto-emission (FE) is the emission of particles and photons during and following crack propagation. Electrons (EE), positive ions (PIE), and excited and ground state neutrals (NE) were observed. Results of a number of experiments involving principally graphite/epoxy composites and Kevlar single fibers are presented. The physical processes responsible for EE and PIE are discussed as well as FE from fiber- and particulate-reinforced composites.

Optimization and characterization of woven kevlar reinforced epoxy matrix composite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imran, A.; Aslam, S.

2007-01-01

Composite materials are actually well established materials that have demonstrated their promising advantages among the light weight structural materials used for aerospace and advanced applications. An effort is now being made to develop and characterize the Kevlar Epoxy Composite Materials by changing the vol. fraction of Kevlar in epoxy matrix. The optimum characteristics were observed with 37% fiber with resin by applying hand-lay-up process. The composites produced were subjected to mechanical testing to evaluate the mechanical characteristics. (author)

Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide on Mechanical Properties of Woven Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nitai Chandra Adak

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO was incorporated as a reinforcing filler in the epoxy resin to investigate the effect on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber (CF/epoxy composites. At first, the epoxy matrix was modified by adding different wt % of TRGO from 0.05 to 0.4 wt % followed by the preparation of TRGO/CF/epoxy composites througha vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. The prepared TRGO was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM techniques. It was observed that the wrinkled structure of synthesized TRGO may be helpful to interlock with the epoxy resin and CF.The inter-laminar shear strength, in-plane fracture toughness and impact strength increased by ~67%, 62% and 93% at 0.2 wt % of TRGO loading in the CF/epoxy composites as compared to the CF reinforced epoxy. The mechanical properties of the hybrid composites decreased beyond the 0.2 wt % of TRGO incorporation in the epoxy resin. The fracture surfaces of the hybrid composites were studied by FE-SEM image analysis to investigate the synergistic effect of TRGO in the CF/epoxy composite. This study suggested that TRGO could be used asgood nanofiller to resist the matrix and fiber fracture.

A comparative study on the tensile and impact properties of Kevlar, carbon, and S-glass/epoxy composites reinforced with SiC particles

Science.gov (United States)

Bulut, Mehmet; Alsaadi, Mohamad; Erkliğ, Ahmet

2018-02-01

Present study compares the tensile and impact characteristics of Kevlar, carbon and glass fiber reinforced composites with addition of microscale silicon carbide (SiC) within the common matrix of epoxy. The variation of tensile and impact strength values was explored for different content of SiC in the epoxy resin by weight (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%). Resulting failure characteristics were identified by assisting Charpy impact tests. The influence of interfacial adhesion between particle and fiber/matrix on failure and tensile properties was discussed from obtained results and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) figures. It is concluded from results that the content of SiC particles, and fiber types used as reinforcement are major parameters those effecting on tensile and impact resistance of composites as a result of different interface strength properties between particle-matrix and particle-fiber.

Thermal-mechanical properties of a graphitic-nanofibers reinforced epoxy.

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi-Khojin, Amin; Jana, Soumen; Zhong, Wei-Hong

2007-03-01

We previously developed a series of reactive graphitic nanofibers (r-GNFs) reinforced epoxy (nano-epoxy) as composite matrices, which have shown good wetting and adhesion properties with continuous fiber. In this work, the thermal-mechanical properties of the nano-epoxy system containing EponTM Resin 828 and Epi-cure Curing Agent W were characterized. Results from three-point bending tests showed that the flexural strength and flexural modulus of this system with 0.30 wt% of reactive nanofibers were increased by 16%, and 21% respectively, over pure epoxy. Fracture toughness increased by ca. 40% for specimens with 0.50 wt% of r-GNFs. By dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test, specimens with 0.30 wt% of r-GNFs showed a significant increase in storage modulus E' (by ca. 122%) and loss modulus E" (by ca. 111%) with respect to that of pure epoxy. Also thermo-dilatometry analysis (TDA) was used to measure dimensional change of specimens as a function of temperature, and then, coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) before and after glass transition temperature (Tg) were obtained. Results implied that nano-epoxy materials had good dimensional stability and reduced CTE values when compared to those of pure epoxy.

Structural and electrical properties of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gantayat, S.; Rout, D.; Swain, S. K.

2016-01-01

The effect of the functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotube on the structure and electrical properties of composites was investigated. Samples based on epoxy resin with different weight percentage of MWCNTs were prepared and characterized. The interaction between MWCNT & epoxy resin was noticed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The structure of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (f-MWCNT) reinforced epoxy composite was studied by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The dispersion of f-MWCNT in epoxy resin was evidenced by high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). Electrical properties of epoxy/f-MWCNT nanocomposites were measured & the result indicated that the conductivity increased with increasing concentration of f-MWCNTs.

Effect on mechanical properties of glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) pipe filled with different geopolymer filler molarity for piping application

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, M. F. Abu; Abdullah, M. M. A.; Ghazali, C. M. R.; Hussin, K.; Binhussain, M.

2017-04-01

This study investigated the use of a novel white clay geopolymer as a filler to produce high strength glass reinforced epoxy pipe. It was found that using white clay geopolymer as filler gives better compressive strength to the glass reinforced epoxy pipe. The disadvantages of current glass reinforced epoxy pipes such low compressive strength which can be replaced by the composite pipes. Geopolymerization is an innovative technology that can transform several aluminosilicate materials into useful products called geopolymers or inorganic polymers. A series of glass reinforced epoxy pipe and glass reinforced epoxy pipe filled with 10 - 40 weight percentages white clay geopolymer filler with 4 Molarity and 8 Molarity were prepared. Morphology of white clay geopolymer filler surface was indicates using scanning electron microscopy. The additions of white clay geopolymer filler for both 4 Molarity and 8 Molarity show higher compressive strength than glass reinforced epoxy pipe without any geopolymer filler. The compressive test of these epoxy geopolymer pipe samples was determined using Instron Universal Testing under compression mode. Nonetheless, the compressive strength of glass reinforced epoxy pipe with white clay geopolymer filler continues to drop when added to 40 wt% of the geopolymer filler loading for both 4 Molarity and 8 Molarity. These outcomes showed that the mixing of geopolymer materials in epoxy system can be attained in this research.

Impact damage, hardness and tribology characterization of epoxy resin based composites reinforced with basalt fibers in combination with TiO_2, BaSO_4 and SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babu, T. Narendiranath; Mangalaraja, R.V.; Saravanan, S.; Prabha, D. Rama

2016-01-01

Impact damage, hardness characterization, frictional and wear behavior of epoxy resin based composites reinforced with basalt fibers in combination with TiO_2, BaSO_4 and SiC were investigated using an impact testing machine, a hardness testing machine and a pin on disc machine. The basalt contained different fillers and short fibers whose presence varied in steps of weight percentage from 23 % to 50 %. It was fabricated using the conventional hand-layup technique followed by the light compression moulding technique. The frictional behavior of the composite specimen was determined by testing on a pin on disc test machine under different operating conditions. The present investigation focused on the determination of the friction coefficient of epoxy resin based composites reinforced with basalt fibers in combination with the fillers. The effects of basalt short fibers content and load were examined under dry conditions. The results showed that the friction coefficient decreased with the filler contents increase. The hardness and the impact damage of epoxy resin reinforced with basalt fiber was examined and it was found that its reinforcement with basalt fiber along with fillers such as titanium oxide, silicon carbide, barium sulphate and graphite made it more advantageous than other specimens. Keywords: basalt fiber, impact behavior, hardness, wear resistance.

Radiation processing of carbon fiber-acrylated epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.; Saunders, C.B.

1992-01-01

Advanced composites, specifically carbon fiber reinforced epoxies, are being used for a variety of demanding structural applications, primarily because of their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, and damage tolerance characteristics. For these composites the key advantages of using electron beam (EB), rather than thermal curing, are curing at ambient temperature, reduced curing times for individual components, improved resin stability, fewer volatiles, and better control of the profile of energy absorption. Epoxy compounds do, however, have to be modified to make them EB curable. The electron beam penetration limit, a function of beam energy, product density, and the thickness of any container required, must also be examined when considering EB processing. Research is being conducted to develop EB-curable carbon fiber-acrylated epoxy composites. The tensile properties of these laminates are comparable to those of thermally cured epoxy laminates. Research is continuing to develop suitable resin formulations and coupling agents to optimize the mechanical properties of EB-cured carbon fiber laminates. In this chapter the EB curing of epoxies, processing considerations, and typical properties of EB-cured carbon fiber-acrylated epoxy laminates are discussed. (orig.)

Mechanical, thermal and microstructural characteristics of cellulose fibre reinforced epoxy/organoclay nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.

2012-10-01

Epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with recycled cellulose fibres (RCFs) and organoclay platelets (30B) have been fabricated and investigated in terms of WAXS, TEM, mechanical properties and TGA. Results indicated that mechanical properties generally increased as a result of the addition of nanoclay into the epoxy matrix. The presence of RCF significantly enhanced flexural strength, fracture toughness, impact strength and impact toughness of the composites. However, the inclusion of 1 wt.% clay into RCF/epoxy composites considerably increased the impact strength and toughness. The presence of either nanoclay or RCF accelerated the thermal degradation of neat epoxy, but at high temperature, thermal stability was enhanced with increased char residue over neat resin. The failure micromechanisms and energy dissipative processes in these nanocomposites were discussed in terms of microstructural observations. © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanocellulose composites with enhanced interfacial compatibility and mechanical properties using a hybrid-toughened epoxy matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Pei-Yu; Barros, Luizmar de Assis; Yan, Ning; Sain, Mohini; Qing, Yan; Wu, Yiqiang

2017-12-01

Although there is a growing interest in utilizing nanocellulose fibres (NCFs) based composites for achieving a higher sustainability, mechanical performance of these composites is limited due to the poor compatibility between fibre reinforcement and polymer matrices. Here we developed a bio-nanocomposite with an enhanced fibre/resin interface using a hybrid-toughened epoxy. A strong reinforcing effect of NCFs was achieved, demonstrating an increase up to 88% in tensile strength and 298% in tensile modulus as compared to neat petro-based P-epoxy. The toughness of neat P-epoxy was improved by 84% with the addition of 10wt% bio-based E-epoxy monomers, which also mitigated the amount of usage of bisphenol A (BPA). The morphological analyses showed that the hybrid epoxy improved the resin penetration and fibre distribution significantly in the resulting composites. Thus, our findings demonstrated the promise of developing sustainable and high performance epoxy composites combing NCFs with a hybrid petro-based and bio-based epoxy resin system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimisation of Drilling Properties on Teak Wood Reinforced Epoxy Resin

Science.gov (United States)

Lilly Mercy, J.; Shaqir Tanvir, Mohamed; Swaroopkanth, K.

2017-05-01

The drilling properties of teak reinforced epoxy resin composite are explored in this work. The thrust force and temperature during the drilling process was found and optimised. Nine holes were drilled in accordance with L9 orthogonal array on Medium Density Fibre board and Teak wood reinforced epoxy composite board and the thrust force and temperature induced during drilling is measured. Drilling experiments were conducted using CNC Vertical drilling machine and the thrust force was measured using dynamometer and temperature using infra-red thermometer. The experiments were conducted with varying levels of spindle speed and feed rate and optimised using Taguchi optimisation. It was observed that higher thrust and temperature were observed while drilling teak wood composite due to the high mechanical strength of teak wood. The hard and brittle properties of the resin seemed to be more pronounced in the composite. The experimental results were optimised to find the best combination of input parameters for reduced thrust and temperature. When speed increases, thrust force decreases and temperature increases. When feed increases, thrust force increases and temperature decreases. Experimental findings encouragesto use teak wood reinforced epoxy resin as a substitute for the traditionally used Medium Density Fibre Board. The percentage of mixing of teak dust can be increased with various resin combinations to arrive at the best suitable combination for obtaining optimal mechanical properties.

Materials Characterisation of Glass/epoxy Composites - Focusing on Process Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Johnny; Lyckegaard, Anders; Jensen, Erik Appel

2013-01-01

Predicting the behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer composites taking the process conditions into account involves advanced modelling techniques and an extensive materials characterisation. The materials characterisation of a chopped strand mat glass/epoxy composite has been the focus...

Effect of γ irradiation on the properties of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composite

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ran; Gu, Yizhuo; Yang, Zhongjia; Li, Min; Wang, Shaokai; Zhang, Zuoguang

2015-11-01

Gamma-ray (γ-ray) irradiation is a crucial reason for the aging in materials used for nuclear industry. Due to high specific strength and stiffness, light weight and good corrosion resistance, fiber reinforced composites are regarded as an alternative of traditional materials used on nuclear facilities. In this study, basalt fiber (BF)/AG80 epoxy composite laminates were fabricated by autoclave process and treated with 60Co gamma irradiation dose up to 2.0 MGy. Irradiation induced polymer chain scission and oxidation of AG80 resin were detected from physical and chemical analysis. The experimental results show that the tensile and flexural performances of irradiated BF/AG80 composite maintain stable and have a low amplitude attenuation respectively, and the interlaminar shear strength has increased from irradiation dose of 0-1.5 MGy. Furthermore, the comparison between the studied BF composite and reported polymer and composite materials was done for evaluating the γ resistance property of BF composite.

Elastic constants and internal friction of fiber-reinforced composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledbetter, H.M.

1982-01-01

We review recent experimental studies at NBS on the anisotropic elastic constants and internal friction of fiber-reinforced composites. Materials that were studied include: boron-aluminum, boron-epoxy, graphite-epoxy, glass-epoxy, and aramid-epoxy. In all cases, elastic-constant direction dependence could be described by relationships developed for single crystals of homogeneous materials. Elastic stiffness and internal friction were found to vary inversely

Enhanced thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy composites by mixing thermotropic liquid crystalline epoxy grafted graphene oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Qi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO sheets were chemically grafted with thermotropic liquid crystalline epoxy (TLCP. Then we fabricated composites using TLCP-g-GO as reinforcing filler. The mechanical properties and thermal properties of composites were systematically investigated. It is found that the thermal and mechanical properties of the composites are enhanced effectively by the addition of fillers. For instance, the composites containing 1.0 wt% of TLCP-g-GO present impact strength of 51.43 kJ/m2, the tensile strength of composites increase from 55.43 to 80.85 MPa, the flexural modulus of the composites increase by more than 48%. Furthermore, the incorporation of fillers is effective to improve the glass transition temperature and thermal stability of the composites. Therefore, the presence of the TLCP-g-GO in the epoxy matrix could make epoxy not only stronger but also tougher.

Synthesis and comparison of mechanical behavior of fly ash-epoxy and silica fumes-epoxy composite

Science.gov (United States)

Sangamesh; Ravishankar, K. S.; Kulkarni, S. M.

2017-08-01

Present day innovation requires materials with a typical combination of properties that are not possible by conventional metal, alloys, ceramics and polymeric materials. Particulate reinforcements for polymers are selected with the dual objective of improving composite properties and save on the total cost of the system. The point of this study is to utilize and compare the mechanical properties of filler (fly ash and silica fumes) reinforced epoxy composites. The composites of different proportions by percentage of matrix (100%), fillers (5%, 10% and 15%) volume are developed using hand lay-up process are tested for tensile and compression, according to ASTM Standards. From these mechanical properties, the flexural analysis of these composites is simulated. And which are characterized by Scanning electron microscopy for the fracture surface study, which reveals the brittle fracture, this also conforms from the Finite element analysis (FEA). And the overall mechanical properties of the fly ash reinforced polymer composites were found to have better than silica fumes reinforced composites.

Annealing effects of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites irradiated by electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udagawa, Akira; Sasuga, Tuneo; Ito, Hiroshi; Hagiwara, Miyuki

1987-01-01

Carbon cloth-reinforced epoxy resin composites were irradiated with 2 MeV electrons at room temperature and then annealed in air for 2 h at temperatures up to 180 deg C. A considerable decrease in the three-point bending strength occurred when the irradiated composites were annealed in the temperature range of 115 - 135 deg C which is below the glass transition temperature T g of the matrix resin, while the bending strength remained unchanged up to 180 deg C for the unirradiated composites. In the dynamic viscoelastic spectra of the irradiated matrix, a new relaxation appeared at the temperature extending from 50 deg C to just below the matrix T g and disappeared on annealing for 2 h at 135 deg C. Annealing also decreased the concentration of free radicals existing stably in the irradiated matrix at room temperature. After annealing, a large amount of clacks and voids were observed in the fractography of the composites by scanning electron microscopy. These results indicate: (1) Annealing brings about rearrangement of the radiation-induced molecular chain scission in the matrix; (2) The bending strength of the irradiated composites decreased owing to the increased brittleness of the matrix by annealing. (author)

Two-dimensional magnesium oxide nanosheets reinforced epoxy nanocomposites for enhanced fracture toughness

Science.gov (United States)

Balguri, Praveen Kumar; Harris Samuel, D. G.; Guruvishnu, T.; Aditya, D. B.; Mahadevan, S. M.; Thumu, Udayabhaskararao

2018-01-01

Metal oxide nanoparticles have been used as excellent reinforcements to enhance mechanical properties of polymers, natural composites, and ceramics. To date, a major portion of metal oxides used as nanofillers is three dimensional spherical nanoparticles. In the last decade, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene have been widely investigated to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of polymer materials. In this paper, 2D Magnesium oxide (MgO) nanosheets reinforced epoxy composites (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 wt%) are fabricated and studied for their ability to resist the propagation of preexisting flaw by conducting fracture toughness test for K IC, critical stress intensity factor. This property is an important mechanical property for designing applications in various engineering technologies. Our results show that the MgO with 0.2 wt% is the optimized level to improve the fracture toughness of the epoxy polymer by 47%.

Mechanical Properties of Epoxy and Its Carbon Fiber Composites Modified by Nanoparticles

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Fang Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Compressive properties are commonly weak parts in structural application of fiber composites. Matrix modification may provide an effective way to improve compressive performance of the composites. In this work, the compressive property of epoxies (usually as matrices of fiber composites modified by different types of nanoparticles was firstly investigated for the following study on the compressive property of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Carbon fiber/epoxy composites were fabricated by vacuum assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM technique using stitched unidirectional carbon fabrics, with the matrices modified with nanosilica, halloysite, and liquid rubber. Testing results showed that the effect of different particle contents on the compressive property of fiber/epoxy composites was more obvious than that in epoxies. Both the compressive and flexural results showed that rigid nanoparticles (nanosilica and halloysite have evident strengthening effects on the compression and flexural responses of the carbon fiber composite laminates fabricated from fabrics.

Advanced Nanocomposite Coatings of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Reinforced with Amino-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Applications in Underwater Oil Pipelines

OpenAIRE

Patricia A. Saliba; Alexandra A. P. Mansur; Herman S. Mansur

2016-01-01

The performance of fusion-bonded epoxy coatings can be improved through advanced composite coatings reinforced with nanomaterials. Hence, in this study a novel organic-inorganic nanocomposite finish was designed, synthesized, and characterized, achieved by adding γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified silica nanoparticles produced via sol-gel process in epoxy-based powder. After the curing process of the coating reinforced with nanoparticles, the formation of a homogenous novel nanocomposite w...

Fatigue behaviour study on repaired aramid fiber/epoxy composites

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Edson Cocchieri Botelho

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Aramid fiber reinforced polymer composites have been used in a wide variety of applications, such as aerospace, marine, sporting equipment and in the defense sector, due to their outstanding properties at low density. The most widely adopted procedure to investigate the repair of composites has been by repairing damages simulated in composite specimens. This work presents the structural repair influence on tensile and fatigue properties of a typical aramid fiber/epoxy composite used in the aerospace industry. According to this work, the aramid/epoxy composites with and without repair present tensile strength values of 618 and 680MPa, respectively, and tensile modulus of 26.5 and 30.1 GPa, respectively. Therefore, the fatigue results show that in loads higher than 170 MPa, both composites present a low life cycle (lower than 200,000 cycles and the repaired aramid/epoxy composite presented low fatigue resistance in low and high cycle when compared with non-repaired composite. With these results, it is possible to observe a decrease of the measured mechanical properties of the repaired composites.

Study of wear mechanism of chopped fiber reinforced epoxy composite filled with graphite and bronze

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Nitinchand; Prasad, Krishna

2018-04-01

The combined effect of graphite and sintered bronze with a short glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites was investigated in this work. A pin on disc wear test was carried out to study the wear behaviour and mechanism of the composites. The objective of this work is to develop an alternate friction resistance material for the application of sliding bearing. It was observed that the addition of sintered bronze improved mechanical and thermal stability of the composites as bronze has low contact resistance with graphite and has high thermal conductivity. It was observed from the test results that increased volume percentage of graphite and presence of bronze are play significant role in wear mechanism of the composites. It was observed from the scanning electronic microscopes (SEM) that the abrasive and adhesive wear mechanism was prominent in this study. It was also evident from the result that the frictional force remains stable irrespective of the applied normal load.

Multi scale analysis by acoustic emission of damage mechanisms in natural fibre woven fabrics/epoxy composites.

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Touchard F.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes to develop an experimental program to characterize the type and the development of damage in composite with complex microstructure. A multi-scale analysis by acoustic emission has been developed and applied to hemp fibre woven fabrics/epoxy composite. The experimental program consists of tensile tests performed on single yarn, neat epoxy resin and composite materials to identify their AE amplitude signatures. A statistical analysis of AE amplitude signals has been realised and correlated with microscopic observations. Results have enabled to identify three types of damage in composites and their associated AE amplitudes: matrix cracking, interfacial debonding and reinforcement damage and fracture. Tracking of these damage mechanisms in hemp/epoxy composites has been performed to show the process of damage development in natural fibre reinforced composites.

Fatigue behaviour of uni-directional flax fibre/epoxy composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ueki, Yosuke; Lilholt, Hans; Madsen, Bo

2015-01-01

A study related to the fatigue behaviour of natural fibre-reinforced composites was conducted to expand their range of product applications. A uni-directional flax-epoxy composite was fabricated and several conditions of tension-tension fatigue tests were performed. During fatigue testing......, the composite showed an increase of stiffness, a typical observation for natural fibre-reinforced composites, and this was found to be accompanied by accumulation of residual strain. A clear linear relationship was found between the stiffening effect and the residual strain. In addition, it was revealed...... that the fatigue behaviour was clearly influenced by the frequency of cyclic loading. Lower frequencies induced more significant stiffening and shorter fatigue life. These results suggest that fatigue damaging is progressing simultaneously with the stiffening effect in natural fibre-reinforced composites...

Study of matrix micro-cracking in nano clay and acrylic tri-block-copolymer modified epoxy/basalt fiber-reinforced pressure-retaining structures

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2011-10-01

Full Text Available In fiber-reinforced polymer pressure-retaining structures, such as pipes and vessels, micro-level failure commonly causes fluid permeation due to matrix cracking. This study explores the effect of nano-reinforcements on matrix cracking in filament-wound basalt fiber/epoxy composite structures. The microstructure and mechanical properties of bulk epoxy nanocomposites and hybrid fiber-reinforced composite pipes modified with acrylic tri-block-copolymer and organophilic layered silicate clay were investigated. In cured epoxy, the tri-block-copolymer phase separated into disordered spherical micelle inclusions; an exfoliated and intercalated structure was observed for the nano-clay. Block-copolymer addition significantly enhanced epoxy fracture toughness by a mechanism of particle cavitation and matrix shear yielding, whereas toughness remained unchanged in nano-clay filled nanocomposites due to the occurrence of lower energy resistance phenomena such as crack deflection and branching.Tensile stiffness increased with nano-clay content, while it decreased slightly for block-copolymer modified epoxy. Composite pipes modified with either the organic and inorganic nanoparticles exhibited moderate improvements in leakage failure strain (i.e. matrix cracking strain; however, reductions in functional and structural failure strength were observed.

Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide on Mechanical Properties of Woven Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite

OpenAIRE

Nitai Chandra Adak; Suman Chhetri; Naresh Chandra Murmu; Pranab Samanta; Tapas Kuila

2018-01-01

Thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) was incorporated as a reinforcing filler in the epoxy resin to investigate the effect on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy composites. At first, the epoxy matrix was modified by adding different wt % of TRGO from 0.05 to 0.4 wt % followed by the preparation of TRGO/CF/epoxy composites througha vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. The prepared TRGO was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman Spe...

EB treatment of carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szebenyi, G.; Romhany, G.; Czvikovszky, T.; Vajna, B.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. A small amount - less than 0.5% - carbon nanotube reinforcement may improve significantly the mechanical properties of epoxy based composite materials. The basic technical problem is on one side the dispersion of the nanotubes into the viscous matrix resin. Namely the fine, powder-like - less than 100 nanometer diameter - nanotubes are prone to form aggregates. On the other side, the good connection between the nanofiber and matrix, - which is determining the success of the reinforcement, - requires some efficient adhesion promoting treatment. After an elaborate masterbatch mixing technology we applied Electron Beam treatment of epoxy-matrix polymer composites containing carbon nanotubes in presence of vinylester resins. The Raman spectra of vinylester-epoxy mixtures treated by an 8 MeV EB showed the advantage of the electron treatment. Even in the case of partially immiscible epoxy and vinylester resins, the anchorage of carbon nanotubes reflects improvement if a reasonable 25 kGy EB dose is applied. Atomic Force Microscopy as well as mechanical tests on flexural and impact properties confirm the benefits of EB treatment. Simultaneous application of multiwall carbon nanotubes and 'conventional' carbon fibers as reinforcement in vinylester modified epoxies results in new types of hybrid nanocomposites as engineering materials. The bending- and interlaminar properties of such hybrid systems showed the beneficial effect of the EB treatment. Acknowledgement: This work has been supported by the New Hungary Development Plan (Project ID: TAMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KMR-2010-0002).

Reinforced carbon fiber laminates with oriented carbon nanotube epoxy nanocomposites: Magnetic field assisted alignment and cryogenic temperature mechanical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yuxin; Yang, Song; Liu, Hu; Shao, Qian; Chen, Qiuyu; Lu, Chang; Jiang, Yuanli; Liu, Chuntai; Guo, Zhanhu

2018-05-01

The epoxy nanocomposites with ordered multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used to influence the micro-cracks resistance of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CF/EP) laminate at 77 K, Oxidized MWCNTs functionalized with Fe 3 O 4 (Fe 3 O 4 /O-MWCNTs) with good magnetic properties were prepared by co-precipitation method and used to modify epoxy (EP) for cryogenic applications. Fe 3 O 4 /O-MWCNTs reinforced carbon fiber epoxy composites were also prepared through vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). The ordered Fe 3 O 4 /O-MWCNTs were observed to have effectively improved the mechanical properties of epoxy (EP) matrix at 77 K and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of EP matrix. The ordered Fe 3 O 4 /O-MWCNTs also obviously improved the micro-cracks resistance of CF/EP composites at 77 K. Compared to neat EP, the CTE of ordered Fe 3 O 4 /O-MWCNTs modified CF/EP composites was decreased 37.6%. Compared to CF/EP composites, the micro-cracks density of ordered Fe 3 O 4 /O-MWCNTs modified CF/EP composites at 77 K was decreased 37.2%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A facile one-pot fabrication of polyphosphazene microsphere/carbon fiber hybrid reinforcement and its effect on the interfacial adhesion of epoxy composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiang [Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Science, Ningbo 315201 (China); School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Ningbo Dahongying University, Ningbo 315175 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Xu, Haibing, E-mail: xuhaibing@nimte.ac.cn [Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Science, Ningbo 315201 (China); Liu, Dong; Yan, Chun [Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Science, Ningbo 315201 (China); Zhu, Yingdan, E-mail: y.zhu@nimte.ac.cn [Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Science, Ningbo 315201 (China)

2017-07-15

Graphical abstract: Carbon fiber was successfully functionalized with a layer of coating and poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) microspheres (PZSMS) by in situ polymerization. The enhancement of surface roughness can improve obviously the interfacial properties through providing more contact points and increasing mechanical interlocking between carbon fiber and epoxy matrix. Moreover, the cyclomatrix-type polyphosphazene coating and PZSMS distributed on the fibers surface can heal the surface defects to some extent and assist in holding back or absorbing excessive stress, resulting in the improvement of tensile strength. - Highlights: • Polyphosphazene microspheres/CF hybrid reinforcements were prepared via a novel and facile one-pot in situ polymerization. • Plenty of poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) microspheres were introduced onto the CF surfaces. • The multi-scale hybrid CF reinforcement enhanced the interfacial adhesion of CF/epoxy composites obviously. • The tensile strength of multi-scale hybrid CF also showed an obvious increase. - Abstract: Introducing nanoscale reinforcements into the interface between carbon fiber (CF) and resin is an effective approach to improve the interfacial adhesion of CF composites. In this paper, a facile one-pot polymerization process provides a rapid and efficient method for preparing polyphosphazene microspheres/CF hybrid reinforcement using hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone (BPS) as monomers. By the in situ polymerization modification, HCCP and BPS were successfully cross-linked and deposited on the CF surface. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy images show that poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) microspheres were introduced onto the CF surfaces and the surface roughness of fibers is enhanced obviously. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm that the

A facile one-pot fabrication of polyphosphazene microsphere/carbon fiber hybrid reinforcement and its effect on the interfacial adhesion of epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Xiang; Xu, Haibing; Liu, Dong; Yan, Chun; Zhu, Yingdan

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: Carbon fiber was successfully functionalized with a layer of coating and poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) microspheres (PZSMS) by in situ polymerization. The enhancement of surface roughness can improve obviously the interfacial properties through providing more contact points and increasing mechanical interlocking between carbon fiber and epoxy matrix. Moreover, the cyclomatrix-type polyphosphazene coating and PZSMS distributed on the fibers surface can heal the surface defects to some extent and assist in holding back or absorbing excessive stress, resulting in the improvement of tensile strength. - Highlights: • Polyphosphazene microspheres/CF hybrid reinforcements were prepared via a novel and facile one-pot in situ polymerization. • Plenty of poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) microspheres were introduced onto the CF surfaces. • The multi-scale hybrid CF reinforcement enhanced the interfacial adhesion of CF/epoxy composites obviously. • The tensile strength of multi-scale hybrid CF also showed an obvious increase. - Abstract: Introducing nanoscale reinforcements into the interface between carbon fiber (CF) and resin is an effective approach to improve the interfacial adhesion of CF composites. In this paper, a facile one-pot polymerization process provides a rapid and efficient method for preparing polyphosphazene microspheres/CF hybrid reinforcement using hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone (BPS) as monomers. By the in situ polymerization modification, HCCP and BPS were successfully cross-linked and deposited on the CF surface. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy images show that poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphonel) microspheres were introduced onto the CF surfaces and the surface roughness of fibers is enhanced obviously. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm that the

Hybrid fiber and nanopowder reinforced composites for wind turbine blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikoloz M. Chikhradze

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The results of an investigation into the production of wind turbine blades manufactured using polymer composites reinforced by hybrid (carbon, basalt, glass fibers and strengthened by various nanopowders (oxides, carbides, borides are presented. The hybrid fiber-reinforced composites (HFRC were manufactured with prepreg technology by molding pre-saturated epoxy-strengthened matrix-reinforced fabric. Performance of the manufactured composites was estimated with values of the coefficient of operating condition (COC at a moderate and elevated temperature.

Effect of Graphene Oxide Mixed Epoxy on Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cuicui; Ge, Heyi; Ma, Xiaolong; Liu, Zhifang; Wang, Ting; Zhang, Jingyi

2018-04-01

In this study, the watersoluble epoxy resin was prepared via the ring-opening reaction between diethanolamine and epoxy resin. The modified resin mixed with graphene oxide (GO) as a sizing agent was coated onto carbon fiber (CF) and then the GO-CF reinforced acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene (ABS) composites were prepared. The influences of the different contents of GO on CF and CF/ABS composite were explored. The combination among epoxy, GO sheets and maleic anhydride grafted ABS (ABSMA) showed a synergistic effect on improving the properties of GO-CF and GO-CF/ABS composite. The GO-CF had higher single tensile strength than the commercial CF. The maximum ILSS of GO-CF/ABS composite obtained 19.2% improvement as compared with that of the commercial CF/ABS composite. Such multiscale enhancement method and the synergistic reinforced GO-CF/ABS composite show good prospective applications in many industry areas.

MWCNTs/P(St-co-GMA) composite nanofibers of engineered interface chemistry for epoxy matrix nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Özden-Yenigün, Elif; Menceloğlu, Yusuf Z; Papila, Melih

2012-02-01

Strengthened nanofiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composites are demonstrated by engineering composite electrospun fibers of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and reactive P(St-co-GMA). MWCNTs are incorporated into surface-modified, reactive P(St-co-GMA) nanofibers by electrospinning; functionalization of these MWCNT/P(St-co-GMA) composite nanofibers with epoxide moieties facilitates bonding at the interface of the cross-linked fibers and the epoxy matrix, effectively reinforcing and toughening the epoxy resin. Rheological properties are determined and thermodynamic stabilization is demonstrated for MWCNTs in the P(St-co-GMA)-DMF polymer solution. Homogeneity and uniformity of the fiber formation within the electrospun mats are achieved at polymer concentration of 30 wt %. Results show that the MWCNT fraction decreases the polymer solution viscosity, yielding a narrower fiber diameter. The fiber diameter drops from an average of 630 nm to 460 nm, as the MWCNTs wt fraction (1, 1.5, and 2%) is increased. The electrospun nanofibers of the MWCNTs/P(St-co-GMA) composite are also embedded into an epoxy resin to investigate their reinforcing abilities. A significant increase in the mechanical response is observed, up to >20% in flexural modulus, when compared to neat epoxy, despite a very low composite fiber weight fraction (at about 0.2% by a single-layer fibrous mat). The increase is attributed to the combined effect of the two factors the inherent strength of the well-dispersed MWCNTs and the surface chemistry of the electrospun fibers that have been modified with epoxide to enable cross-linking between the polymer matrix and the nanofibers.

Static and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Graphene Oxide-Incorporated Woven Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite

Science.gov (United States)

Adak, Nitai Chandra; Chhetri, Suman; Kim, Nam Hoon; Murmu, Naresh Chandra; Samanta, Pranab; Kuila, Tapas

2018-03-01

This study investigates the synergistic effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the woven carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced epoxy composites. The GO nanofiller was incorporated into the epoxy resin with variations in the content, and the CF/epoxy composites were manufactured using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process and then cured at 70 and 120 °C. An analysis of the mechanical properties of the GO (0.2 wt.%)/CF/epoxy composites showed an improvement in the tensile strength, Young's modulus, toughness, flexural strength and flexural modulus by 34, 20, 83, 55 and 31%, respectively, when compared to the CF/epoxy composite. The dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites exhibited an enhancement of 56, 114 and 22% in the storage modulus, loss modulus and damping capacity (tan δ), respectively, at its glass transition temperature. The fiber-matrix interaction was studied using a Cole-Cole plot analysis.

Effect of Filler Content on the Performance of Epoxy/PTW Composites

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Mudradi Sudheer

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the mechanical and tribological characteristics of potassium titanate whisker (PTW reinforced epoxy composites. The effect of various test variables and material parameters on the friction and wear behavior of epoxy/PTW composites has been studied systematically. Tribological tests were conducted on a pin-on-disc apparatus under dry sliding conditions. Addition of PTW was found to improve the wear resistance of the composites and 15 wt% PTW filled epoxy exhibited lowest specific wear rate and highest friction coefficient compared to other test samples. PTW additions showed beneficiary effect on density, hardness, and stiffness properties of composites; however, strength properties and ductility were found to decrease with the increasing content of PTW. Scanning electron microscope (SEM images of tensile fractured surfaces and worn-out surfaces of selected samples revealed different fracture mechanisms.

Quantitative radiographic analysis of fiber reinforced polymer composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Baidya, K P; Ramakrishna, S; Rahman, M; Ritchie, A

2001-01-01

X-ray radiographic examination of the bone fracture healing process is a widely used method in the treatment and management of patients. Medical devices made of metallic alloys reportedly produce considerable artifacts that make the interpretation of radiographs difficult. Fiber reinforced polymer composite materials have been proposed to replace metallic alloys in certain medical devices because of their radiolucency, light weight, and tailorable mechanical properties. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comparable radiographic analysis of different fiber reinforced polymer composites that are considered suitable for biomedical applications. Composite materials investigated consist of glass, aramid (Kevlar-29), and carbon reinforcement fibers, and epoxy and polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) matrices. The total mass attenuation coefficient of each material was measured using clinical X-rays (50 kev). The carbon fiber reinforced composites were found to be more radiolucent than the glass and kevlar fiber reinforced composites.

Steady-shear rheological properties of graphene-reinforced epoxy resin for manufacturing of aerospace composite films

Science.gov (United States)

Clausi, Marialaura; Santonicola, M. Gabriella; Laurenzi, Susanna

2016-05-01

The aim of this work is to analyze the steady-shear rheological behavior and the absolute viscosity of epoxy matrix reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) before cure. Three different grades of xGnP (grades C, M and H) were dispersed homogenously at different weight percentages (wt%) into the epoxy matrix, ranging from 0.5 to 5 wt%. It is found that nanocomposite fluids with xGnP-C exhibit a Newtonian behavior at shear rate in the range 0.1-100 s-1, conversely, nanocomposite fluids with xGnP of grade M and H exhibit a shear-thinning behavior with the increase of nanoplatelet loading. Results from this analysis indicate how the steady shear rheological properties of the nano-reinforced polymer fluids depend on the geometrical characteristics of the graphene nanoplatelets.

Imidazolium Ionic Liquid Modified Graphene Oxide: As a Reinforcing Filler and Catalyst in Epoxy Resin

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Qing Lyu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Surface modification of graphene oxide (GO is one of the most important issues to produce high performance GO/epoxy composites. In this paper, the imidazole ionic liquid (IMD-Si was introduced onto the surface of GO sheets by a cheap and simple method, to prepare a reinforcing filler, as well as a catalyst in epoxy resin. The interlayer spacing of GO sheets was obviously increased by the intercalation of IMD-Si, which strongly facilitated the dispersibility of graphene oxide in organic solvents and epoxy matrix. The addition of 0.4 wt % imidazolium ionic liquid modified graphene oxide (IMD-Si@GO, yielded a 12% increase in flexural strength (141.3 MPa, a 26% increase in flexural modulus (4.69 GPa, and a 52% increase in impact strength (18.7 kJ/m2, compared to the neat epoxy. Additionally the IMD-Si@GO sheets could catalyze the curing reaction of epoxy resin-anhydride system significantly. Moreover, the improved thermal conductivities and thermal stabilities of epoxy composites filled with IMD-Si@GO were also demonstrated.

The interfacial strength of carbon nanofiber epoxy composite using single fiber pullout experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Manoharan, M P; Sharma, A; Desai, A V; Haque, M A; Bakis, C E; Wang, K W

2009-07-22

Carbon nanotubes and nanofibers are extensively researched as reinforcing agents in nanocomposites for their multifunctionality, light weight and high strength. However, it is the interface between the nanofiber and the matrix that dictates the overall properties of the nanocomposite. The current trend is to measure elastic properties of the bulk nanocomposite and then compare them with theoretical models to extract the information on the interfacial strength. The ideal experiment is single fiber pullout from the matrix because it directly measures the interfacial strength. However, the technique is difficult to apply to nanocomposites because of the small size of the fibers and the requirement for high resolution force and displacement sensing. We present an experimental technique for measuring the interfacial strength of nanofiber-reinforced composites using the single fiber pullout technique and demonstrate the technique for a carbon nanofiber-reinforced epoxy composite. The experiment is performed in situ in a scanning electron microscope and the interfacial strength for the epoxy composite was measured to be 170 MPa.

Preparation, Characterization, and Modeling of Carbon Nano fiber/Epoxy Nano composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, L.H.; Yang, Z.G.; Ounaies, Z.; Whalen, C.A.; Gao, X.L.

2011-01-01

There is a lack of systematic investigations on both mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nano fiber (CNF)-reinforced epoxy matrix nano composites. In this paper, an in-depth study of both static and dynamic mechanical behaviors and electrical properties of CNF/epoxy nano composites with various contents of CNFs is provided. A modified Halpin-Tsai equation is used to evaluate the Young's modulus and storage modulus of the nano composites. The values of Young's modulus predicted using this method account for the effect of the CNF agglomeration and fit well with those obtained experimentally. The results show that the highest tensile strength is found in the epoxy nano composite with a 1.0 wt % CNFs. The alternate-current (AC) electrical properties of the CNF/epoxy nano composites exhibit a typical insulator-conductor transition. The conductivity increases by four orders of magnitude with the addition of 0.1 wt % (0.058 vol %) CNFs and by ten orders of magnitude for nano composites with CNF volume fractions higher than 1.0 wt % (0.578 vol %). The percolation threshold (i.e., the critical CNF volume fraction) is found to be at 0.057 vol %.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Polyimide-Epoxy Composite for Dental Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, An; Xu, Chun

2018-03-01

Epoxy (EP) resins have been employed in dentistry for years, but their intrinsic brittleness demands a reinforcement to make them an ideal dental material that combines strength, toughness, and aesthetics. In this study, an EP resin was reinforced with a low-molecular-weight polyimide (PI). The PI/EP composites were subjected to three-point bending tests and examined by the scanning electron microscopy. It was found that blending PI with EP in proper proportions strengthened EP without sacrificing its toughness. The PI/EP composite could be employed in dentistry as the matrix of fiber-reinforced dental root canal posts.

Self-healing woven glass fabric/epoxy composites with the healant consisting of micro-encapsulated epoxy and latent curing agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Tao; Zhou Lin; Rong Minzhi; Zhang Mingqiu

2008-01-01

This paper reports a study of self-healing woven glass fabric reinforced epoxy composites. The healing agent was a two-component one synthesized in the authors' laboratory, which consisted of epoxy-loaded urea-formaldehyde microcapsules as the polymerizable binder and CuBr 2 (2-methylimidazole) 4 (CuBr 2 (2-MeIm) 4 ) as the latent hardener. Both the microcapsules and the matching catalyst were pre-embedded and pre-dissolved in the composites' matrix, respectively. When the microcapsules are split by propagating cracks, the uncured epoxy can be released into the damaged areas and then consolidated under the catalysis of CuBr 2 (2-MeIm) 4 that was homogeneously distributed in the composites' matrix on a molecular scale. As a result, the cracked faces can be bonded together. The influence of the content of the self-healing agent on the composites' tensile properties, interlaminar fracture toughness and healing efficiency was evaluated. It was found that a healing efficiency over 70% relative to the fracture toughness of virgin composites was obtained in the case of 30 wt% epoxy-loaded microcapsules and 2 wt% latent hardener

Advanced Nanocomposite Coatings of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Reinforced with Amino-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Applications in Underwater Oil Pipelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia A. Saliba

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The performance of fusion-bonded epoxy coatings can be improved through advanced composite coatings reinforced with nanomaterials. Hence, in this study a novel organic-inorganic nanocomposite finish was designed, synthesized, and characterized, achieved by adding γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified silica nanoparticles produced via sol-gel process in epoxy-based powder. After the curing process of the coating reinforced with nanoparticles, the formation of a homogenous novel nanocomposite with the development of interfacial reactions between organic-inorganic and inorganic-inorganic components was observed. These hybrid nanostructures produced better integration between nanoparticles and epoxy matrix and improved mechanical properties that are expected to enhance the overall performance of the system against underwater corrosion.

Effect of the surface roughness on interfacial properties of carbon fibers reinforced epoxy resin composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Wei; Gu Aijuan; Liang Guozheng; Yuan Li

2011-01-01

The effect of the surface roughness on interfacial properties of carbon fibers (CFs) reinforced epoxy (EP) resin composite is studied. Aqueous ammonia was applied to modify the surfaces of CFs. The morphologies and chemical compositions of original CFs and treated CFs (a-CFs) were characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Compared with the smooth surface of original CF, the surface of a-CF has bigger roughness; moreover, the roughness increases with the increase of the treating time. On the other hand, no obvious change in chemical composition takes place, indicating that the treating mechanism of CFs by aqueous ammonia is to physically change the morphologies rather than chemical compositions. In order to investigate the effect of surface roughness on the interfacial properties of CF/EP composites, the wettability and Interfacial Shear Strength (IFSS) were measured. Results show that with the increase of the roughness, the wettabilities of CFs against both water and ethylene glycol improves; in addition, the IFSS value of composites also increases. These attractive phenomena prove that the surface roughness of CFs can effectively overcome the poor interfacial adhesions between CFs and organic matrix, and thus make it possible to fabricate advanced composites based on CFs.

Basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites: Processing and properties

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qiang

A high efficiency rig was designed and built for in-plane permeability measurement of fabric materials. A new data derivation procedure to acquire the flow fluid pattern in the experiment was developed. The measurement results of the in-plane permeability for basalt twill 31 fabric material showed that a high correlation exists between the two principal permeability values for this fabric at 35% fiber volume fraction. This may be the most important scientific contribution made in this thesis. The results from radial measurements corresponded quite well with those from Unidirectional (UD) measurements, which is a well-established technique. No significant differences in mechanical properties were found between basalt fabric reinforced polymer composites and glass composites reinforced by a fabric of similar weave pattern. Aging results indicate that the interfacial region in basalt composites may be more vulnerable to environmental damage than that in glass composites. However, the basalt/epoxy interface may have been more durable than the glass/epoxy interface in tension-tension fatigue because the basalt composites have significantly longer fatigue life. In this thesis, chapter I reviews the literature on fiber reinforced polymer composites, with concentration on permeability measurement, mechanical properties and durability. Chapter II discusses the design of the new rig for in-plane permeability measurement, the new derivation procedure for monitoring of the fluid flow pattern, and the permeability measurement results. Chapter III compares the mechanical properties and durability between basalt fiber and glass fiber reinforced polymer composites. Lastly, chapter IV gives some suggestions and recommendations for future work.

Sliding wear behavior of E-glass-epoxy/MWCNT composites: An experimental assessment

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Ravindranadh Bobbili

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This investigation has evaluated the sliding wear properties of E-glass-epoxy/MWCNT (multiwalled carbon nanotube composite and Epoxy/MWCNT composite. Four different reinforcements (0, 0.5,1 and 1.5 wt % of MWCNTs are dispersed into an epoxy resin. Design of experiments (DOE and Analysis of variance (ANOVA are employed to understand the relationship between control factors (Percentage of reinforcement, Sliding distance, Sliding velocity and Normal load and response measures (specific wear rate and friction coefficient. The control variables such as sliding distance (300, 600, 900 and 1200 m and normal loads of 10, 15, 20 and 25 N and at sliding velocities of 1, 2, 3 and 4 m/s are chosen for this study. It is observed that that the specific wear rate and friction coefficient can be reduced by the addition of MWCNTs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM is used to observe the worn surfaces of the samples. Compared with neat epoxy, the composites with MWCNTs showed a lower mass loss, friction coefficient and wear rate and these parameters decreased with the increase of MWCNT percentage. Microscopic investigation of worn out sample fracture surface has revealed that fiber debonding happens when the stresses at the fiber matrix interface exceeds the interfacial strength, causing the fiber to debond from the matrix. The optimum control variables have been derived to reduce both wear and friction coefficient of composites.

Flame Retardancy Effects of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Membranes on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

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Dongxian Zhuo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Carbon nanotube/graphene nanoplatelet (MWCNT/GNP hybrid membranes with lower liquid permeability and better barrier effect compared to MWCNT membranes were successfully synthesized by vacuum filtering. Their morphologies, water permeability, and pore structures were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Furthermore, MWCNT/GNP membranes were used to improve the flame retardancy of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP composites, and the influence of weight percentage of GNPs on the permeability and flame retardancy of MWCNT/GNP membranes was systematically investigated. Results show that incorporation of MWCNT/GNP membranes on CFRP composite plates can remarkably improve the flame retardancy of CFRP composites. Specifically, the incorporation of hierarchical MWCNT/GNP membrane with 7.5 wt% of GNP displays a 35% reduction in the peak heat release rate (PHRR for a CFRP composite plate with the epoxy as matrix and a 11% reduction in PHRR compared with the incorporation of MWCNT membrane only. A synergistic flame retarding mechanism is suggested to be attributed to these results, which includes controlling the pore size and penetrative network structure.

Mechanical and abrasive wear characterization of bidirectional and chopped E-glass fiber reinforced composite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddhartha,; Gupta, Kuldeep

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Bi-directional and chopped E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated. ► Three body abrasive wear behavior of fabricated composites has been assessed. ► Results are validated against existing microscopic models of Lancaster and Wang. ► Tensile strength of bi-directional E-glass fiber reinforced composites increases. ► Chopped glass fiber composites are found better in abrasive wear situations. -- Abstract: Bi-directional and chopped E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated in five different (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35) wt% in an epoxy resin matrix. The mechanical characterization of these composites is performed. The three body abrasive wear behavior of fabricated composites has been assessed under different operating conditions. Abrasive wear characteristics of these composites are successfully analysed using Taguchi’s experimental design scheme and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results obtained from these experiments are also validated against existing microscopic models of Ratner-Lancaster and Wang. It is observed that quite good linear relationships is held between specific wear rate and reciprocal of ultimate strength and strain at tensile fracture of these composites which is an indicative that the experimental results are in fair agreement with these existing models. Out of all composites fabricated it is found that tensile strength of bi-directional E-glass fiber reinforced composites increases because of interface strength enhancement. Chopped glass fiber reinforced composites are observed to perform better than bi-directional glass fiber reinforced composites under abrasive wear situations. The morphology of worn composite specimens has been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand about dominant wear mechanisms.

Microstructure and strain rate effects on the mechanical behavior of particle reinforced epoxy-based reactive materials

Science.gov (United States)

White, Bradley William

The effects of reactive metal particles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of epoxy-based composites is investigated in this work. Particle reinforced polymer composites show promise as structural energetic materials that can provide structural strength while simultaneously being capable of releasing large amounts of chemical energy through highly exothermic reactions occurring between the particles and with the matrix. This advanced class of materials is advantageous due to the decreased amount of high density inert casings needed for typical energetic materials and for their ability to increase payload expectancy and decrease collateral damage. Structural energetic materials can be comprised of reactive particles that undergo thermite or intermetallic reactions. In this work nickel (Ni) and aluminum (Al) particles were chosen as reinforcing constituents due to their well characterized mechanical and energetic properties. Although, the reactivity of nickel and aluminum is well characterized, the effects of their particle size, volume fractions, and spatial distribution on the mechanical behavior of the epoxy matrix and composite, across a large range of strain rates, are not well understood. To examine these effects castings of epoxy reinforced with 20--40 vol.% Al and 0--10 vol.% Ni were prepared, while varying the aluminum nominal particle size from 5 to 50 mum and holding the nickel nominal particle size constant at 50 mum. Through these variations eight composite materials were produced, possessing unique microstructures exhibiting different particle spatial distributions and constituent makeup. In order to correlate the microstructure to the constitutive response of the composites, techniques such as nearest-neighbor distances, and multiscale analysis of area fractions (MSAAF) were used to quantitatively characterize the microstructures. The composites were investigated under quasi-static and dynamic compressive loading conditions to characterize

Mechanical behavior of nanocellulose coated jute/green epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Jabbar, A.; Militký, J.; Ali, A.; Usman Javed, M.

2017-10-01

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of nanocellulose coating on the mechanical behavior of jute/green epoxy composites. Cellulose was purified from waste jute fibers, converted to nanocellulose by acid hydrolysis and subsequently 3, 5 and 10 wt % of nanocellulose suspensions were coated over woven jute reinforcement. The composites were prepared by hand layup and compression molding technique. The surface topologies of treated jute fibers, jute cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), nanocellulose coated jute fabrics and fractured surfaces of composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared composites were evaluated for tensile, flexural, fatigue and fracture toughness properties. The results revealed the improvement in tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, fatigue life and fracture toughness of composites with the increase in concentration of nanocellulose coating over jute reinforcement except the decrease in tensile strength.

Thermoplastic impact property improvement in hybrid natural fibre epoxy composite bumper beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davoodi, M M; Sapuan, S M; Ali, Aidy; Ahmad, D; Khalina, A

2010-01-01

Utilization of thermoset resin as a bumper beam composite matrix is currently more dominated in car manufacturer suppliers, because of availability, easy processing, low material cost and production equipment investment. Moreover, low viscosity, shrinkage and excellent flow facilitate better fibre impregnation and proper surface resin wetting. Three-dimensional cross linking curing increase impact, creep and environmental stress cracking resistance properties. Low impact properties of natural fibre epoxy composite, are main issues in its employment for automotive structural components. Impact properties in epoxy composite bumper beam could be increased by modifying the resin, reinforcement and manufacturing process as well as geometry parameters such as cross section, thickness, added ribs and fixing method optimizations could strengthen impact resistance. There are two main methods, flexibilisation and toughening, as modifying the resin in order to improve the impact properties of epoxy composite, which form single phase or two-phase morphology to make modifier as epoxy or from separate phase to keep the thermo-mechanical properties. Liquid rubber, thermoplastic, core shell particle and rigid particle are different methods of toughening improvements. In this research, thermoplastic toughening has used to improve impact properties in hybrid natural fibre epoxy composite for automotive bumper beam and has achieved reasonable impact improvements.

The effect of fiber treatment on abrasive wear properties of palm fiber reinforced epoxy composite

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, Muhammad Firdaus Abdul; Bakar, Mimi Azlina Abu; Kasolang, Salmiah; Ahmad, Mohamad Ali

2017-12-01

Oil palm industries generate at least 30 million tons of lignocellulosic biomass annually in the form of oil palm trunks (OPT), empty fruit bunches (EFB), oil palm fronds (OPF) and palm pressed fibres (PPF). The palm fiber is one of the natural fibers used as reinforcement in composite materials in order to decrease environmental issues and promotes utilization of renewable resources. This paper presents a study on the effect of alkaline treatment on wear properties of palm fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite. Abrasive wear testing was deployed to investigate the wear profile of the composite surfaces. Testing was carried out which focused on the effect of alkaline treatment to the palm fiber under different amounts of fiber loading i.e. 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt% and 7 wt%. The palm fibers were soaked into 6 % of alkaline solution or natrium hydroxide (NaOH) for 12 hours. The fiber was treated in order to remove amorphous materials such as hemicelluloses, lignins and pectins of the fiber. The wear test samples were fabricated using hand lay-up technique and cured at room temperature for 24 hours. Surface roughness of the composite material was also measured using the surface measuring instrument. Dry sliding wear test was performed at room temperature at a constant velocity of 1.4 m/s with a constant load of 10 N by using the Abrasion Test Machine. Result shows that 5 wt% and 7 wt% treated palm fiber loadings have better specific wear rate compared to lower fiber loadings. The finding of this study contributes towards material development and utilization in promoting `waste into wealth' which is in line with national aspiration.

The Effects of Thermophysical Properties and Environmental Conditions on Fire Performance of Intumescent Coatings on Glass Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandola, Baljinder K; Luangtriratana, Piyanuch; Duquesne, Sophie; Bourbigot, Serge

2015-08-11

Intumescent coatings are commonly used as passive fire protection systems for steel structures. The purpose of this work is to explore whether these can also be used effectively on glass fibre-reinforced epoxy (GRE) composites, considering the flammability of the composites compared to non-flammable steel substrate. The thermal barrier and reaction-to-fire properties of three commercial intumescent coatings on GRE composites have been studied using a cone calorimeter. Their thermophysical properties in terms of heating rate and/or temperature dependent char expansion ratios and thermal conductivities have been measured and correlated. It has been suggested that these two parameters can be used to design coatings to protect composite laminates of defined thicknesses for specified periods of time. The durability of the coatings to water absorption, peeling, impact, and flexural loading were also studied. A strong adhesion between all types of coatings and the substrate was observed. Water soaking had a little effect on the fire performance of epoxy based coatings. All types of 1 mm thick coatings on GRE helped in retaining ~90% of the flexural property after 2 min exposure to 50 kW/m² heat flux whereas the uncoated laminate underwent severe delamination and loss in structural integrity after 1 min.

The Effects of Thermophysical Properties and Environmental Conditions on Fire Performance of Intumescent Coatings on Glass Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Composites

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Baljinder K. Kandola

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Intumescent coatings are commonly used as passive fire protection systems for steel structures. The purpose of this work is to explore whether these can also be used effectively on glass fibre-reinforced epoxy (GRE composites, considering the flammability of the composites compared to non-flammable steel substrate. The thermal barrier and reaction-to-fire properties of three commercial intumescent coatings on GRE composites have been studied using a cone calorimeter. Their thermophysical properties in terms of heating rate and/or temperature dependent char expansion ratios and thermal conductivities have been measured and correlated. It has been suggested that these two parameters can be used to design coatings to protect composite laminates of defined thicknesses for specified periods of time. The durability of the coatings to water absorption, peeling, impact, and flexural loading were also studied. A strong adhesion between all types of coatings and the substrate was observed. Water soaking had a little effect on the fire performance of epoxy based coatings. All types of 1 mm thick coatings on GRE helped in retaining ~90% of the flexural property after 2 min exposure to 50 kW/m2 heat flux whereas the uncoated laminate underwent severe delamination and loss in structural integrity after 1 min.

Titanium Implant Osseointegration Problems with Alternate Solutions Using Epoxy/Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Composite

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Richard C. Petersen

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to present recent developments in material research with bisphenyl-polymer/carbon-fiber-reinforced composite that have produced highly influential results toward improving upon current titanium bone implant clinical osseointegration success. Titanium is now the standard intra-oral tooth root/bone implant material with biocompatible interface relationships that confer potential osseointegration. Titanium produces a TiO2 oxide surface layer reactively that can provide chemical bonding through various electron interactions as a possible explanation for biocompatibility. Nevertheless, titanium alloy implants produce corrosion particles and fail by mechanisms generally related to surface interaction on bone to promote an inflammation with fibrous aseptic loosening or infection that can require implant removal. Further, lowered oxygen concentrations from poor vasculature at a foreign metal surface interface promote a build-up of host-cell-related electrons as free radicals and proton acid that can encourage infection and inflammation to greatly influence implant failure. To provide improved osseointegration many different coating processes and alternate polymer matrix composite (PMC solutions have been considered that supply new designing potential to possibly overcome problems with titanium bone implants. Now for important consideration, PMCs have decisive biofunctional fabrication possibilities while maintaining mechanical properties from addition of high-strengthening varied fiber-reinforcement and complex fillers/additives to include hydroxyapatite or antimicrobial incorporation through thermoset polymers that cure at low temperatures. Topics/issues reviewed in this manuscript include titanium corrosion, implant infection, coatings and the new epoxy/carbon-fiber implant results discussing osseointegration with biocompatibility related to nonpolar molecular attractions with secondary bonding, carbon fiber in vivo

Stress Corrosion Cracking of Basalt/Epoxy Composites under Bending Loading

Science.gov (United States)

Shokrieh, Mahmood M.; Memar, Mahdi

2010-04-01

The purpose of this research is to study the stress corrosion behavior of basalt/epoxy composites under bending loading and submerged in 5% sulfuric acid corrosive medium. There are limited numbers of research in durability of fiber reinforced polymer composites. Moreover, studies on basalt fibers and its composites are very limited. In this research, mechanical property degradation of basalt/epoxy composites under bending loading and submerged in acidic corrosive medium is investigated. Three states of stress, equal to 30%, 50% and 70% of the ultimate strength of composites, are applied on samples. High stress states are applied to the samples to accelerate the testing procedure. Mechanical properties degradation consists of bending strength, bending modulus of elasticity and fracture energy of samples are examined. Also, a normalized strength degradation model for stress corrosion condition is presented. Finally, microscopic images of broken cross sections of samples are examined.

Correlation between Mechanical Properties with Specific Wear Rate and the Coefficient of Friction of Graphite/Epoxy Composites

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Mahdi Alajmi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The correlation between the mechanical properties of Fillers/Epoxy composites and their tribological behavior was investigated. Tensile, hardness, wear, and friction tests were conducted for Neat Epoxy (NE, Graphite/Epoxy composites (GE, and Data Palm Fiber/Epoxy with or without Graphite composites (GFE and FE. The correlation was made between the tensile strength, the modulus of elasticity, elongation at the break, and the hardness, as an individual or a combined factor, with the specific wear rate (SWR and coefficient of friction (COF of composites. In general, graphite as an additive to polymeric composite has had an eclectic effect on mechanical properties, whereas it has led to a positive effect on tribological properties, whilst date palm fibers (DPFs, as reinforcement for polymeric composite, promoted a mechanical performance with a slight improvement to the tribological performance. Statistically, this study reveals that there is no strong confirmation of any marked correlation between the mechanical and the specific wear rate of filler/Epoxy composites. There is, however, a remarkable correlation between the mechanical properties and the friction coefficient of filler/Epoxy composites.

Correlation between Mechanical Properties with Specific Wear Rate and the Coefficient of Friction of Graphite/Epoxy Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Alajmi, Mahdi; Shalwan, Abdullah

2015-07-08

The correlation between the mechanical properties of Fillers/Epoxy composites and their tribological behavior was investigated. Tensile, hardness, wear, and friction tests were conducted for Neat Epoxy (NE), Graphite/Epoxy composites (GE), and Data Palm Fiber/Epoxy with or without Graphite composites (GFE and FE). The correlation was made between the tensile strength, the modulus of elasticity, elongation at the break, and the hardness, as an individual or a combined factor, with the specific wear rate (SWR) and coefficient of friction (COF) of composites. In general, graphite as an additive to polymeric composite has had an eclectic effect on mechanical properties, whereas it has led to a positive effect on tribological properties, whilst date palm fibers (DPFs), as reinforcement for polymeric composite, promoted a mechanical performance with a slight improvement to the tribological performance. Statistically, this study reveals that there is no strong confirmation of any marked correlation between the mechanical and the specific wear rate of filler/Epoxy composites. There is, however, a remarkable correlation between the mechanical properties and the friction coefficient of filler/Epoxy composites.

Behavior of Epoxy-Coated Textured Reinforcing Bars

Science.gov (United States)

2018-04-01

Cracking in bridge decks is a common but difficult problem to control. Both research and experience show that the use of epoxy-coated reinforcement, which is mandated by most state departments of transportation (DOTs) for bridge decks, increases c...

Characterization of epoxy hybrid composites filled with cellulose fibers and nano-SiC

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.

2012-04-06

Three different approaches have been applied and investigated to enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy resin. Epoxy system reinforced with either recycled cellulose fibers (RCF) or nanosilicon carbide (n-SiC) particles as well as with both RCF and n-SiC has been fabricated and investigated. The effect of RCF/n-SiC dispersion on the mechanical and thermal properties of these composites has been characterized. The fracture surface morphology and toughness mechanisms were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The dispersion of n-SiC particles into epoxy nanocomposites was studied by synchrotron radiation diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Results indicated that mechanical properties increased as a result of the addition of n-SiC. The presence of RCF layers significantly increased the mechanical properties of RCF/epoxy composites when compared with neat epoxy and its nanocomposites. The influence of the addition of n-SiC to RCF/epoxy composites in mechanical properties was found to be positive in toughness properties. At high temperatures, thermal stability of neat epoxy increased due to the presence of either n-SiC particles or RCF layers. However, the presence of RCF accelerated the thermal degradation of neat epoxy as well as the addition of n-SiC to RCF/epoxy samples increased the rate of the major thermal degradation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ELABORATION OF AN EPOXY COATING REINFORCED WITH ZIRCONIUM CARBIDE NANOSTRUCTURES

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Lucia G. Díaz-Barriga

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This work shows the preparation of a transparent epoxy coating reinforced with 200 PPM of zirconium carbide nanostructures. The nanostructures of ZrC were prepared by mechanosynthesis. The additive characteristics analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM were presented. Epoxy coating adhesion on a steel plate was analyzed using MEB. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA was performed to the reinforced paints between 20-700 °C. The reinforced enamel was compared with an enamel without nanostructures. There is not vaporization of reinforced enamel at a 95 y 100 °C with ZrC particles size of 10 µm y 120 nm respectively. The final enamel degradation is slower when there is a 14% by weight of the residue and 426 °C with 120nm diameter particles.

Transverse thermal expansion of carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Helmer, J. F.; Diefendorf, R. J.

1983-01-01

Thermal expansion coefficients and moduli of elasticity have been determined experimentally for a series of epoxy-matrix composites reinforced with carbon and Kevlar fibers. It is found that in the transverse direction the difference between the properties of the fiber and the matrix is not as pronounced as in the longitudinal direction, where the composite properties are fiber-dominated. Therefore, the pattern of fiber packing tends to affect transverse composite properties. The transverse properties of the composites tested are examined from the standpoint of the concept of homogeneity defined as the variation of packing (or lack thereof) throughout a sample.

Enhancement of mechanical and electrical properties of continuous-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites with stacked graphene

OpenAIRE

Naveh, Naum; Shepelev, Olga; Kenig, Samuel

2017-01-01

Impregnation of expandable graphite (EG) after thermal treatment with an epoxy resin containing surface-active agents (SAAs) enhanced the intercalation of epoxy monomer between EG layers and led to further exfoliation of the graphite, resulting in stacks of few graphene layers, so-called “stacked” graphene (SG). This process enabled electrical conductivity of cured epoxy/SG composites at lower percolation thresholds, and improved thermo-mechanical properties were measured with either Kevlar, ...

Novel Diels-Alder based self-healing epoxies for aerospace composites

Science.gov (United States)

Coope, T. S.; Turkenburg, D. H.; Fischer, H. R.; Luterbacher, R.; van Bracht, H.; Bond, I. P.

2016-08-01

Epoxy resins containing Diels-Alder (DA) furan and maleimide moieties are presented with the capability to self-heal after exposure to an external heat source. A conventional epoxy amine system has been combined with furfuryl and maleimide functional groups in a two-step process, to avoid major side-reactions, and the concentration of a thermo-reversibly binding cross-linker was considered to balance thermoset and thermoplastic behaviours, and the subsequent self-healing performance. In the context of self-repair technologies an inbuilt ‘intrinsic’ self-healing system is deemed favourable as the healing agent can be placed in known ‘hot spot’ regions (i.e. skin-stringer run outs, ply drops and around drilled holes) where operational damage predominately occurs in load bearing aerospace structures. In this study, the mechanical and self-healing performance of furan functionalised epoxy resins containing varying amounts (10, 20, 30 or 40 pph) of bismaleimide were investigated using a bulk epoxy polymer tapered double cantilever beam test specimen geometry. Two forms, a thin film and a bulk material, were evaluated to account for future integration methods into fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The highest healing efficiency, with respect to the obtained initial load value, was observed from the 20 pph bulk material derivative. The polymers were successful in achieving consistent multiple (three) healing cycles when heated at 150 °C for 5 min. This novel investigated DA material exhibits favourable processing characteristics for FRP composites as preliminary studies have shown successful coextrution with reinforcing fibres to form free standing films and dry fibre impregnation.

An experimental study of mechanical behavior of natural fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Ratna, Sanatan; Misra, Sheelam

2018-05-01

Fibre-reinforced polymer composites have played a dominant role for a long time in a variety of applications for their high specific strength and modulus. The fibre which serves as a reinforcement in reinforced plastics may be synthetic or natural. Past studies show that only synthetic fibres such as glass, carbon etc., have been used in fibre reinforced plastics. Although glass and other synthetic fibre-reinforced plastics possess high specific strength, their fields of application are very limited because of their inherent higher cost of production. In this connection, an investigation has been carried out to make use of horse hair, an animal fibre abundantly available in India. Animal fibres are not only strong and lightweight but also relatively very cheaper than mineral fibre. The present work describes the development and characterization of a new set of animal fiber based polymer composites consisting of horse hair as reinforcement and epoxy resin. The newly developed composites are characterized with respect to their mechanical characteristics. Experiments are carried out to study the effect of fibre length on mechanical behavior of these epoxy based polymer composites. Composite made form horse hair can be used as a potential reinforcing material for many structural and non-structural applications. This work can be further extended to study other aspects of such composites like effect of fiber content, loading pattern, fibre treatment on mechanical behavior of horse hair based polymer horse hair.

Continuous Natural Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites by Fiber Surface Modification

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Patcharat Wongsriraksa

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Continuous natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials are expected to replace inorganic fiber reinforced thermosetting materials. However, in the process of fabricating the composite, it is difficult to impregnate the thermoplastic resin into reinforcement fiber because of the high melt viscosity. Therefore, intermediate material, which allows high impregnation during molding, has been investigated for fabricating continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite by aligning resin fiber alongside reinforcing fiber with braiding technique. This intermediate material has been called “microbraid yarn (MBY.” Moreover, it is well known that the interfacial properties between natural fiber and resin are low; therefore, surface treatment on continuous natural fiber was performed by using polyurethane (PU and flexible epoxy (FLEX to improve the interfacial properties. The effect of surface treatment on the mechanical properties of continuous natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites was examined. From these results, it was suggested that surface treatment by PU with low content could produce composites with better mechanical properties.

Hybrid MoS2/h-BN Nanofillers As Synergic Heat Dissipation and Reinforcement Additives in Epoxy Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Hélio; Trigueiro, João Paulo C; Silva, Wellington M; Woellner, Cristiano F; Owuor, Peter S; Cristian Chipara, Alin; Lopes, Magnovaldo C; Tiwary, Chandra S; Pedrotti, Jairo J; Villegas Salvatierra, Rodrigo; Tour, James M; Chopra, Nitin; Odeh, Ihab N; Silva, Glaura G; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2017-09-26

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials as molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and their hybrid (MoS 2 /h-BN) were employed as fillers to improve the physical properties of epoxy composites. Nanocomposites were produced in different concentrations and studied in their microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties. The hybrid 2D mixture imparted efficient reinforcement to the epoxy leading to increases of up to 95% in tensile strength, 60% in ultimate strain, and 58% in Young's modulus. Moreover, an enhancement of 203% in thermal conductivity was achieved for the hybrid composite as compared to the pure polymer. The incorporation of MoS 2 /h-BN mixture nanofillers in epoxy resulted in nanocomposites with multifunctional characteristics for applications that require high mechanical and thermal performance.

Aspects of the Fracture Toughness of Carbon Nanotube Modified Epoxy Polymer Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Mirjalili, Vahid

Epoxy resins used in fibre reinforced composites exhibit a brittle fracture behaviour, because they show no sign of damage prior to a catastrophic failure. Rubbery materials and micro-particles have been added to epoxy resins to improve their fracture toughness, which reduces strength and elastic properties. In this research, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are investigated as a potential toughening agent for epoxy resins and carbon fibre reinforced composites, which can also enhance strength and elastic properties. More specifically, the toughening mechanisms of CNTs are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The effect of aligned and randomly oriented carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the fracture toughness of polymers was modelled using Elastic Plastic Fracture Mechanics. Toughening from CNT pull-out and rupture were considered, depending on the CNTs critical length. The model was used to identify the effect of CNTs geometrical and mechanical properties on the fracture toughness of CNT-modified epoxies. The modelling results showed that a uniform dispersion and alignment of a high volume fraction of CNTs normal to the crack growth plane would lead to the maximum fracture toughness enhancement. To achieve a uniform dispersion, the effect of processing on the dispersion of single walled and multi walled CNTs in epoxy resins was investigated. An instrumented optical microscope with a hot stage was used to quantify the evolution of the CNT dispersion during cure. The results showed that the reduction of the resin viscosity at temperatures greater than 100 °C caused an irreversible re-agglomeration of the CNTs in the matrix. The dispersion quality was then directly correlated to the fracture toughness of the modified resin. It was shown that the fine tuning of the ratio of epoxy resin, curing agent and CNT content was paramount to the improvement of the base resin fracture toughness. For the epoxy resin (MY0510 from Hexcel), an improvement of 38% was achieved with 0.3 wt

Tensile properties of interwoven hemp/PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) epoxy hybrid composites

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, M. A. A.; Majid, M. S. A.; Ridzuan, M. J. M.; Firdaus, A. Z. A.; Amin, N. A. M.

2017-10-01

This paper describes the experimental investigation of the tensile properties of interwoven Hemp/PET hybrid composites. The effect of hybridization of hemp (warp) with PET fibres (weft) on tensile properties was of interest. Hemp and PET fibres were selected as the reinforcing material while epoxy resin was chosen as the matrix. The interwoven Hemp/PET fabric was used to produce hybrid composite using a vacuum infusion process. The tensile test was conducted using Universal Testing Machine in accordance to the ASTM D638. The tensile properties of the interwoven Hemp/PET hybrid composite were then compared with the neat woven hemp/epoxy composite. The results show that the strength of hemp/PET with the warp direction was increased by 8% compared to the neat woven hemp composite. This enhancement of tensile strength was due to the improved interlocking structure of interwoven Hemp/PET hybrid fabric.

Synthesis of polyoxometalate-loaded epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Benjamin J

2014-10-07

The synthesis of a polyoxometalate-loaded epoxy uses a one-step cure by applying an external stimulus to release the acid from the polyoxometalate and thereby catalyze the cure reaction of the epoxy resin. Such polyoxometalate-loaded epoxy composites afford the cured epoxy unique properties imparted by the intrinsic properties of the polyoxometalate. For example, polyoxometalate-loaded epoxy composites can be used as corrosion resistant epoxy coatings, for encapsulation of electronics with improved dielectric properties, and for structural applications with improved mechanical properties.

Three-Phase Carbon Fiber Amine Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Epoxy Composite: Processing, Characterisation, and Multiscale Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal Sharma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper discusses the key issues of carbon nanotube (CNT dispersion and effect of functionalisation on the mechanical properties of multiscale carbon epoxy composites. In this study, CNTs were added in epoxy matrix and further reinforced with carbon fibres. Predetermined amounts of optimally amine functionalised CNTs were dispersed in epoxy matrix, and unidirectional carbon fiber laminates were produced. The effect of the presence of CNTs (1.0 wt% in the resin was reflected by pronounced increase in Young’s modulus, inter-laminar shear strength, and flexural modulus by 51.46%, 39.62%, and 38.04%, respectively. However, 1.5 wt% CNT loading in epoxy resin decreased the overall properties of the three-phase composites. A combination of Halpin-Tsai equations and micromechanics modeling approach was also used to evaluate the mechanical properties of multiscale composites and the differences between the predicted and experimental values are reported. These multiscale composites are likely to be used for potential missile and aerospace structural applications.

Electron processing of fibre-reinforced advanced composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.; Saunders, C.B.; Barnard, J.W.; Lopata, V.J.; Kremers, W.; McDougall, T.E.; Chung, M.; Tateishi, Miyoko

1996-01-01

Advanced composites, such as carbon-fibre-reinforced epoxies, are used in the aircraft, aerospace, sporting goods, and transportation industries. Though thermal curing is the dominant industrial process for advanced composites, electron curing of similar composites containing acrylated epoxy matrices has been demonstrated by our work. The main attraction of electron processing technology over thermal technology is the advantages it offers which include ambient temperature curing, reduced curing times, reduced volatile emissions, better material handling, and reduced costs. Electron curing technology allows for the curing of many types of products, such as complex shaped, those containing different types of fibres and up to 15 cm thick. Our work has been done principally with the AECL's 10 MeV, 1 kW electron accelerator; we have also done some comparative work with an AECL Gammacell 220. In this paper we briefly review our work on the various aspects of electron curing of advanced composites and their properties. (Author)

Electron processing of fibre-reinforced advanced composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, A.; Saunders, C.B.; Barnard, J.W.; Lopata, V.J.; Kremers, W.; McDougall, T.E.; Chung, M.; Tateishi, Miyoko [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, MB (Canada). Whiteshell Labs.

1996-08-01

Advanced composites, such as carbon-fibre-reinforced epoxies, are used in the aircraft, aerospace, sporting goods, and transportation industries. Though thermal curing is the dominant industrial process for advanced composites, electron curing of similar composites containing acrylated epoxy matrices has been demonstrated by our work. The main attraction of electron processing technology over thermal technology is the advantages it offers which include ambient temperature curing, reduced curing times, reduced volatile emissions, better material handling, and reduced costs. Electron curing technology allows for the curing of many types of products, such as complex shaped, those containing different types of fibres and up to 15 cm thick. Our work has been done principally with the AECL`s 10 MeV, 1 kW electron accelerator; we have also done some comparative work with an AECL Gammacell 220. In this paper we briefly review our work on the various aspects of electron curing of advanced composites and their properties. (Author).

Service tough composite structures using the Z-direction reinforcement process

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Glenn; Magee, Constance; Boyce, Joseph; Bott, Richard

1992-01-01

Foster-Miller has developed a new process to provide through thickness reinforcement of composite structures. The process reinforces laminates locally or globally on-tool during standard autoclave processing cycles. Initial test results indicate that the method has the potential to significantly reduce delamination in carbon-epoxy. Laminates reinforced with the z-fiber process have demonstrated significant improvements in mode 1 fracture toughness and compression strength after impact. Unlike alternative methods, in-plane properties are not adversely affected.

Mechanical properties of uniaxial natural fabric Grewia tilifolia reinforced epoxy based composites: Effects of chemical treatment

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Jayaramudu, J

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The effects of chemical treatment on the mechanical, morphological, and chemical resistance properties of uniaxial natural fabrics, Grewia tilifolia/epoxy composites, were studied. In order to enhance the interfacial bonding between the epoxy matrix...

Recycling of carbon fibre reinforced composites using water in subcritical conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Yuyan, E-mail: liuyy@hit.edu.cn [Harbin Institute of Technology, No.92 Xidazhi Street, Harbin 150001 (China); Shan Guohua; Meng Linghui [Harbin Institute of Technology, No.92 Xidazhi Street, Harbin 150001 (China)

2009-09-15

In this paper, a method of chemical recycling of thermosetting epoxy composite was discussed. Water was used to be reaction medium and the decomposition of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites was studied. Experiments were devised in order to identify the significant process parameters that affect fibre reinforced composite recovery potential including temperature, time, catalyst, feedstock, and pressure. Experiments were performed in a batch-type reactor without stirring. Under the condition that the temperature was 260 deg. C and the ratio of resin and water was 1:5 g/mL, the decomposition rate could reach 100 wt.% and the carbon fibres were obtained. The results from the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) measurements showed that the fibres were clean and no cracks or defects were found. The average tensile strength of the reclaimed fibres was about 98.2% than that of the virgin fibres.

EB treatment of carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szebényi, G.; Romhány, G.; Vajna, B.; Czvikovszky, T.

2012-01-01

A small amount — less than 0.5% — carbon nanotube reinforcement may improve the mechanical properties of epoxy based composite materials significantly. The basic technical problem on one side is the dispersion of the nanotubes into the viscous matrix resin, namely, the fine powder-like — less than 100 nanometer diameter — nanotubes are prone to form aggregates. On the other side, the good connection between the nanofiber and matrix, which is determining the success of the reinforcement, requires some efficient adhesion promoting treatment. The goal of our research was to give one such treatment capable of industrial size application. A two step curing epoxy/vinylester resin process technology has been developed where the epoxy component has been cured conventionally, while the vinylester has been cured by electron treatment afterwards. The sufficient irradiation dose has been selected according to Raman spectroscopy characterization. Using the developed hybrid resin system hybrid composites containing carbon fibers and multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been prepared. The effect of the electron beam induced curing of the vinylester resin on the mechanical properties of the composites has been characterized by three point bending and interlaminar shear tests, which showed clearly the superiority of the developed resin system. The results of the mechanical tests have been supported by AFM studies of the samples, which showed that the difference in the viscoelastic properties of the matrix constituents decreased significantly by the electron beam treatment.

Free vibration of fully functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced graphite/epoxy laminates

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Shih-Yao

2018-03-01

This study provides the first-known vibration analysis of fully functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced hybrid composite (FFG-CNTRHC) laminates. CNTs are non-uniformly distributed to reinforce the graphite/epoxy laminates. Some CNT distribution functions in the plane and thickness directions are proposed to more efficiently increase the stiffening effect. The rule of mixtures is modified by considering the non-homogeneous material properties of FFG-CNTRHC laminates. The formulation of the location dependent stiffness matrix and mass matrix is derived. The effects of CNT volume fraction and distribution on the natural frequencies of FFG-CNTRHC laminates are discussed. The results reveal that the FFG layout may significantly increase the natural frequencies of FFG-CNTRHC laminate.

Composites reinforced via mechanical interlocking of surface-roughened microplatelets within ductile and brittle matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Libanori, R; Carnelli, D; Rothfuchs, N; Binelli, M R; Zanini, M; Nicoleau, L; Feichtenschlager, B; Albrecht, G; Studart, A R

2016-04-12

Load-bearing reinforcing elements in a continuous matrix allow for improved mechanical properties and can reduce the weight of structural composites. As the mechanical performance of composite systems are heavily affected by the interfacial properties, tailoring the interactions between matrices and reinforcing elements is a crucial problem. Recently, several studies using bio-inspired model systems suggested that interfacial mechanical interlocking is an efficient mechanism for energy dissipation in platelet-reinforced composites. While cheap and effective solutions are available at the macroscale, the modification of surface topography in micron-sized reinforcing elements still represents a challenging task. Here, we report a simple method to create nanoasperities with tailored sizes and densities on the surface of alumina platelets and investigate their micromechanical effect on the energy dissipation mechanisms of nacre-like materials. Composites reinforced with roughened platelets exhibit improved mechanical properties for both organic ductile epoxy and inorganic brittle cement matrices. Mechanical interlocking increases the modulus of toughness (area under the stress-strain curve) by 110% and 56% in epoxy and cement matrices, respectively, as compared to those reinforced with flat platelets. This interlocking mechanism can potentially lead to a significant reduction in the weight of mechanical components while retaining the structural performance required in the application field.

Evaluation of carbon fiber composites fabricated using ionic liquid based epoxies for cryogenic fluid applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.N. Grugel

Full Text Available Utilizing tanks fabricated from fiber reinforced polymeric composites for storing cryogenic fluids such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen is of great interest to NASA as considerable weight savings can be gained. Unfortunately such composites, especially at cryogenic temperatures, develop a mismatch that initiates detrimental delamination and crack growth, which promotes leaking. On-going work with ionic liquid-based epoxies appears promising in mitigating these detrimental effects. Some recent results are presented and discussed. Keywords: Ionic liquid, Carbon fiber, Epoxy, COPV, Cryogenic fluids

Fabrication and Characterization of Silicon Carbide Epoxy Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, James

the surface of SiCWs to further investigate the epoxy nanocomposite system. The process of composites formation was studied to evaluate the effects of the surface modification on the epoxy curing reaction. The obtained composites were tested and analyzed to assess their thermal and thermo-mechanical properties. These properties were related to the dispersion and surface chemical composition of the fillers in the nanocomposites. It was determined that magnetically modified SiCWs have lower ability for interfacial stress transfer in the composite systems under consideration. The final portion of this work was focused on reinforcing the magnetic layer of the SiCWs. This was accomplished by structurally toughening the magnetic layer with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) layer. As a result, the thermal and mechanical properties of the magnetic composite system were improved significantly.

Highly transparent and rollable PVA-co-PE nanofibers synergistically reinforced with epoxy film for flexible electronic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Bing; Zhong, Weibing; Zhu, Qing; Liu, Ke; Li, Mufang; Sun, Gang; Wang, Dong

2017-12-14

The development of electronics towards a more functions-integrated, flexible and stretchable direction requires mechanically flexible substrates with high thermal and dimensional stability and optical transparency. Herein, rolls of an optically transparent PVA-co-PE nanofibrous membrane/epoxy composite with synergistically enhanced thermal stability, very low CTE, and outstanding mechanical properties are reported. The nanoscale size, the unique inter-stack structure, and the strong interfacial interactions between the PVA-co-PE nanofibers and the epoxy contribute to the synergistic effects. Because of the match between the refractive index (RI) of the PVA-co-PE nanofibers and the epoxy matrix, the visible light transmittance of nanocomposite film could be as high as 85% and the composite film was still optically transparent with a nanofiber loading content of up to 61.7 wt%. The break strength and compliance matrix of the composite film with a high fiber loading of 61.7 wt% increased by 2.3 times of that of the neat epoxy film and exceeded 3000 m 2 N -1 , respectively. PVA-co-PE nanofibers have a very low CTE value (3.634 × 10 -6 K -1 ) and could be applicable as a reinforcement to reduce the thermal expansion of epoxy. Furthermore, we developed a flexible alternating current electroluminescent (ACEL) device based on the transparent composite film and the experimental results showed that the transparent composite film could serve as substrate for flexible electronic devices. In addition, their electrical and optical properties were evaluated.

Processing and properties of carbon nanofibers reinforced epoxy powder composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palencia, C.; Mazo, M. A.; Nistal, A.; Rubio, F.; Rubio, J.; Oteo, J. L.

2011-01-01

Commercially available CNFs (diameter 30–300 nm) have been used to develop both bulk and coating epoxy nanocomposites by using a solvent-free epoxy matrix powder. Processing of both types of materials has been carried out by a double-step process consisting in an initial physical premix of all components followed by three consecutive extrusions. The extruded pellets were grinded into powder and sieved. Carbon nanofibers powder coatings were obtained by electrostatic painting of the extruded powder followed by a curing process based in a thermal treatment at 200 °C for 25 min. On the other hand, for obtaining bulk carbon nanofibers epoxy composites, a thermal curing process involving several steps was needed. Gloss and mechanical properties of both nanocomposite coatings and bulk nanocomposites were improved as a result of the processing process. FE-SEM fracture surface microphotographs corroborate these results. It has been assessed the key role played by the dispersion of CNFs in the matrix, and the highly important step that is the processing and curing of the nanocomposites. A processing stage consisted in three consecutive extrusions has reached to nanocomposites free of entanglements neither agglomerates. This process leads to nanocomposite coatings of enhanced properties, as it has been evidenced through gloss and mechanical properties. A dispersion limit of 1% has been determined for the studied system in which a given dispersion has been achieved, as the bending mechanical properties have been increased around 25% compared with the pristine epoxy resin. It has been also demonstrated the importance of the thickness in the nanocomposite, as it involves the curing stage. The complex curing treatment carried out in the case of bulk nanocomposites has reached to reagglomeration of CNFs.

Processing and properties of carbon nanofibers reinforced epoxy powder composites

Science.gov (United States)

Palencia, C.; Mazo, M. A.; Nistal, A.; Rubio, F.; Rubio, J.; Oteo, J. L.

2011-11-01

Commercially available CNFs (diameter 30-300 nm) have been used to develop both bulk and coating epoxy nanocomposites by using a solvent-free epoxy matrix powder. Processing of both types of materials has been carried out by a double-step process consisting in an initial physical premix of all components followed by three consecutive extrusions. The extruded pellets were grinded into powder and sieved. Carbon nanofibers powder coatings were obtained by electrostatic painting of the extruded powder followed by a curing process based in a thermal treatment at 200 °C for 25 min. On the other hand, for obtaining bulk carbon nanofibers epoxy composites, a thermal curing process involving several steps was needed. Gloss and mechanical properties of both nanocomposite coatings and bulk nanocomposites were improved as a result of the processing process. FE-SEM fracture surface microphotographs corroborate these results. It has been assessed the key role played by the dispersion of CNFs in the matrix, and the highly important step that is the processing and curing of the nanocomposites. A processing stage consisted in three consecutive extrusions has reached to nanocomposites free of entanglements neither agglomerates. This process leads to nanocomposite coatings of enhanced properties, as it has been evidenced through gloss and mechanical properties. A dispersion limit of 1% has been determined for the studied system in which a given dispersion has been achieved, as the bending mechanical properties have been increased around 25% compared with the pristine epoxy resin. It has been also demonstrated the importance of the thickness in the nanocomposite, as it involves the curing stage. The complex curing treatment carried out in the case of bulk nanocomposites has reached to reagglomeration of CNFs.

Ballistic Performance of Mallow and Jute Natural Fabrics Reinforced Epoxy Composites in Multilayered Armor

OpenAIRE

Nascimento, Lucio Fabio Cassiano; Louro, Luis Henrique Leme; Monteiro, Sergio Neves; Gomes, Alaelson Vieira; Marçal, Rubens Lincoln Santana Blazutti; Lima Júnior, Édio Pereira; Margem, Jean Igor

2017-01-01

Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites have recently been investigated as a component of multilayered armor system (MAS). These composites were found to present advantages when replacing conventional high strength synthetic aramid fabric laminate composite (KevlarTM, with same thickness, as MAS second layer. Continuous and loose natural fibers were up to now mostly used to reinforce these ballistic composites. Only two natural fabrics reinforced polymer composite were so far used with sa...

Modelling Behaviour of a Carbon Epoxy Composite Exposed to Fire: Part II-Comparison with Experimental Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Tranchard, Pauline; Samyn, Fabienne; Duquesne, Sophie; Estèbe, Bruno; Bourbigot, Serge

2017-04-28

Based on a phenomenological methodology, a three dimensional (3D) thermochemical model was developed to predict the temperature profile, the mass loss and the decomposition front of a carbon-reinforced epoxy composite laminate (T700/M21 composite) exposed to fire conditions. This 3D model takes into account the energy accumulation by the solid material, the anisotropic heat conduction, the thermal decomposition of the material, the gas mass flow into the composite, and the internal pressure. Thermophysical properties defined as temperature dependant properties were characterised using existing as well as innovative methodologies in order to use them as inputs into our physical model. The 3D thermochemical model accurately predicts the measured mass loss and observed decomposition front when the carbon fibre/epoxy composite is directly impacted by a propane flame. In short, the model shows its capability to predict the fire behaviour of a carbon fibre reinforced composite for fire safety engineering.

The effect of particle addition and fibrous reinforcement on epoxy-matrix composites for severe sliding conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Thomas Ricco Ølholm; Løgstrup Andersen, Tom; Thorning, Bent

2008-01-01

This paper reports production and tribological testing of epoxy-matrix composites for dry-sliding conditions. The examined composites are produced using the following components: epoxy resin (EP), glass fiber weave (G), carbon/aramid hybrid weave (CA), PTFE particles and nano-scale CuO particles...... are seen when the fibers are parallel and anti-parallel (P-AP) to the sliding direction compared to normal and parallel (N-P). Experiments with incorporating micro-scale PTFE particles and nano-scale CuO particles, respectively, into the epoxy resin along with the carbon/aramid weave shows no difference...... in friction but minor improvements in wear. When micro-scale PTFE particles are incorporated into the neat epoxy resin, i.e. without fibers, an increase in and a decrease in A are measured. When the same is done with nano-CuO a deterioration of both friction and wear properties are seen. At the three roughest...

Investigation of Thermal Behavior for Natural Fibres Reinforced Epoxy using Thermogravimetric and Differential Scanning Calorimetric Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fauzi F.A.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presented the research works on the investigation of the thermal behavior of the natural fibres; i.e. pineapple leaf fibre, kenaf fibre and mengkuang fibres reinforced epoxy. The thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric analysis were used to measure the thermal behavior of the treated and untreated pineapple, kenaf and mengkuang fibres reinforced epoxy. The samples for both analysis were subjected to maximum temperature 600°C at the heating rate of 10°C/min. The results showed that the treated fibres show higher maximum peak temperature as compared to the untreated fibres. Additionally, the glass transition temperature showed a lower value for all treated fibre. It can be concluded that investigation of thermal properties of these natural fibres could improve the utilization of natural fibre composites in various applications i.e. sports applications.

Evaluation of mechanical properties of four different carbon/epoxy composites used in aeronautical field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane Maria Faulstich de Paiva

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Four families of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRC used in aeronautical industry were evaluated by flexural and interlaminar shear tests. It is also characterized three families of non-conditioned and conditioned CFRC by compression test. The composites were obtained by hand lay-up process in autoclave by using prepregs based on epoxy matrices (F155 and F584 and carbon fiber fabric reinforcements (PW-"Plain Weave" and 8HS-"Eight Harness Satin". The F155-epoxy matrix was cured at 121 °C and the F584-epoxy type at 177 °C. After molding, the laminates were cut in specimens attending the ASTM D790 for the flexural test, the ASTM D2344 for the interlaminar shear test (ILSS and the ASTM D3410 for the compressive test. The compressive tests were performed for testing the specimens before and after hygrothermal conditioning. The results show that the F584-epoxy matrix laminates present higher mechanical properties when compared to the F155-epoxy ones. The shear-tested samples observed by scanning electron microscopy and that ones tested in flexural, analyzed by stereoscopy, revealed that the fractured surfaces present typical aspects. The compressive results show that the hygrothermal conditioning caused the decrease of the compressive strength in, approximately, 8-20% depending on the laminate type. The failure modes of the tested specimens were evaluated showing good agreement with the literature.

Effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties of nanoclay filled recycled cellulose fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.

2013-01-01

Recycled cellulose fibre (RCF) reinforced epoxy/clay nanocomposites were successfully synthesized with different weight percentages (0%, 1%, 3% and 5%) of organoclay platelets (30B). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of water absorption on the physical and mechanical properties of the RCF reinforced epoxy/clay nanocomposites. TEM images indicated a well-intercalated structure of nanoclay/epoxy matrix with some exfoliated regions. Water absorption was found to decrease as the clay content increased. The flexural strength, flexural modulus and fracture toughness significantly decreased as a result of water absorption. However, the properties of impact strength and impact toughness were found to increase after exposing to water. The addition of nanoclay slightly minimized the effect of moisture on the mechanical properties. SEM images showed that water absorption severely damaged the cellulose fibres and the bonding at fibres-matrix interfaces in wet composites. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal properties of non-covalently functionalized reduced graphene oxide/epoxy composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suman Chhetri

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO was non-covalently functionalized using sulfanilic acid azocromotrop (SAC followed by hydrazine reduction to achieve SAC functionalized reduced GO (SAC-rGO. Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis and electrical conductivity measurements confirmed the successful functionlization and reduction of GO. The electrical conductivity of ~515 S•m−1 for SAC-rGO was recorded. The non-covalently functionalized reduced GO was subsequently dispersed in epoxy matrix at the loading level of 0.3 to 0.5 wt% to investigate its electromagnetic interference (EMI shielding properties. The morphological and structural characterization of the SAC-rGO/epoxy composites was carried out using X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy analysis, which revealed the good dispersion of SAC-rGO in the epoxy. The SAC-rGO/epoxy composites showed the EMI shielding of −22.6 dB at the loading of 0.5 wt% SAC-rGO. Dynamical mechanical properties of the composites were studied to establish the reinforcing competency of the SAC-rGO. The storage modulus of the composites was found to increase within the studied temperature. Thermal stability of pure epoxy and its composites were compared by selecting the temperatures at 10 and 50% weight loss, respectively.

Corrosion performance of epoxy-coated reinforcement in aggressive environments

Science.gov (United States)

Vaca Cortes, Enrique

The objective of this research was to investigate the integrity and corrosion performance of epoxy-coated reinforcement in aggressive environments. A series of experimental studies were conducted: (a) hot water immersion and knife adhesion testing for assessment of coating adhesion; (b) materials and procedures for repairing coating damage; (c) degree of mechanical damage caused during concrete placement when using metal head and rubber head vibrators; (d) accelerated corrosion of coated bars embedded in macrocell and beam specimens placed in a corrosive environment for more than four years. The effects of coating condition and amount of damage, repaired vs. unrepaired damage, bar fabrication, and concrete cracking were studied. Regardless of coating condition, the performance of epoxy-coated bars was better than that of uncoated bars. Unlike black bars, coated bars did not exhibit deep pitting or substantial loss of cross section at crack locations. Damage to epoxy coating was the most significant factor affecting corrosion performance. Bars with coating in good condition, without any visible damage, performed best. The greater the size and frequency of damage, the more severe and extensive the amount of corrosion. The performance of bars that were fabricated or bent after coating was worse than that of coated straight bars. Mixing coated and uncoated bars in the same concrete member led to undesirable performance. Patching damaged coating reduced but did not prevent corrosion, particularly at bar ends. The most important factor in coating repair was the type and properties of the patching material. Surface preparation prior to coating had little effect. The absence of cracks in the concrete delayed, but did not prevent the onset of corrosion of coated bars. During consolidation of concrete, rubber head vibrators caused less damage to epoxy-coated reinforcement than did comparable metal heads. Hot water and adhesion tests were useful and practical for evaluating

Measurement and Evaluation of Thermal Expansion Coefficients of Micrometer - Sized SiO2 Particle - Reinforced Epoxy Composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Hyu Sang; Kang, Hee Yong; Lee, Gyo Woo

2015-01-01

In this experimental study, the thermal stability values of micrometer-sized silica particle-reinforced epoxy composite specimens were evaluated by measuring their thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli. For all specimens used in this study (from the baseline specimen to that containing 70 wt% silica filler), the thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli were gradually reduced down to 25% and increased up to 51%, respectively. The results of the experiment were compared with those of certain empirical models. The experimental results of the measurement of thermal expansion coefficients corresponded well with those of Kerner's model, which considers the bulk and shear moduli of the matrix and silica filler. However, the results of the measurement of Young's moduli using the empirical Mori-Tanaka model were observed to match better with those of the experiment. The comparison of the results of the experiment with those of the empirical models demonstrated that a reliable model for measuring the thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli of composite specimens needs to consider certain property variations in the composites in addition to volume fraction changes in the filler and matrix

Effect of UV and water spraying on the mechanical properties of flax fabric reinforced polymer composites used for civil engineering applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Libo; Chouw, Nawawi; Jayaraman, Krishnan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • UV weathering degraded mechanical properties of flax/epoxy composites. • SEM confirmed degradation in fibre/matrix interfacial bonding. • UV weathering caused discolouration, matrix erosion, microcracking. - Abstract: The lack of data related to durability is one major challenge that needed to be addressed prior to the widespread acceptance of natural fibre reinforced polymer composites for engineering applications. In this work, the combined effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and water spraying on the mechanical properties of flax fabric reinforced epoxy composite was investigated to assess the durability performance of this composite used for civil engineering applications. Specimens fabricated by hand lay-up process were exposed in an accelerated weathering chamber for 1500 h. Tensile and three-point bending tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyse the microstructures of the composites. In addition, the durability performance of flax/epoxy composite was compared with synthetic (glass and carbon) and hybrid fibre reinforced composites. The test results show that the tensile strength/modulus of the weathered composites decreased 29.9% and 34.9%, respectively. The flexural strength/modulus reduced 10.0% and 10.2%, respectively. SEM study confirmed the degradation in fibre/matrix interfacial bonding after exposure. Comparisons with other composites implies that flax fabric/epoxy composite has potential to be used for civil engineering applications when taking its structural and durability performance into account. Proper treatments to enhance its durability performance will make it more comparable to synthetic fibre reinforced composites when considering as construction building materials

(nanoclay and CaSiO3)-reinforced E-glass-reinforced epoxy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

For instance, Zhang et al. [6] have prepared 30 types of epoxy matrix reinforced with ... the resin in a high-speed metal blade rotation medium. The .... Tests were run for .... Figure 2. Mean effect plots showing the influence of load, nanoclay content and speed on ..... [8] Wang K, Chen L, Wu J, Toh M L, He C and Yee A F 2005.

Insulation Characteristics of Sisal Fibre/Epoxy Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Shalwan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Using natural fibres in civil engineering is the aim of many industrial and academics sectors to overcome the impact of synthetic fibres on environments. One of the potential applications of natural fibres composites is to be implemented in insulation components. Thermal behaviour of polymer composites based on natural fibres is recent ongoing research. In this article, thermal characteristics of sisal fibre reinforced epoxy composites are evaluated for treated and untreated fibres considering different volume fractions of 0–30%. The results revealed that the increase in the fibre volume fraction increased the insulation performance of the composites for both treated and untreated fibres. More than 200% insulation rate was achieved at the volume fraction of 20% of treated sisal fibres. Untreated fibres showed about 400% insulation rate; however, it is not recommended to use untreated fibres from mechanical point of view. The results indicated that there is potential of using the developed composites for insulation purposes.

The role of the epoxy resin: Curing agent ratio in composite interfacial strength by single fibre microbond test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minty, Ross; Thomason, James L.; Petersen, Helga Nørgaard

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on an investigation into the role of the epoxy resin: curing agent ratio in composite interfacial shear strength of glass fibre composites. The procedure involved changing the percentage of curing agent (Triethylenetetramine [TETA]) used in the mixture with several different...... percentages used, ranging from 4% up to 30%, including the stoichiometric ratio. It was found by using the microbond test, that there may exist a relationship between the epoxy resin to curing agent ratio and the level of adhesion between the reinforcing fibre and the polymer matrix of the composite....

Effects of alumina nanoparticles on dynamic impact responses of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy matrix nanocomposites

OpenAIRE

Halil B. Kaybal; Hasan Ulus; Okan Demir; Ömer S. Şahin; Ahmet Avcı

2018-01-01

The influence of alumina (Al2O3) nanoparticles addition upon low-velocity impact behaviors of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced laminated epoxy nanocomposites have been investigated. For this purpose, different amounts of Al2O3 nanoparticles ranging from 1 to 5 wt% were added to the epoxy resin in order to observe the effect of nanoparticle loadings. CF reinforced epoxy based laminated nanocomposites were produced using Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Method (VARIM). The low velocity impact (LVI) t...

Mechanical properties of graphene oxide (GO/epoxy composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shivan Ismael Abdullah

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, the effects of graphene oxide (GO on composites based on epoxy resin were analyzed. Different contents of GO (1.5–6 vol.% were added to epoxy resin. The GO/epoxy composite was prepared using the casting method and was prepared under room temperature. Mechanical tests’ results such as tensile test, impact test and hardness test show enhancements of the mechanical properties of the GO/epoxy composite. The experimental results clearly show an improvement in the Young’s modulus, tensile strength and hardness. The impact strength was seen to decrease, pointing to brittleness increase of the GO/epoxy composite. A microstructure analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD analysis was also performed, which showed how GO impeded the propagation of cracks in the composite. From the SEM images we observed the interface between the GO and the epoxy composite. As can be seen from this research, the GO/epoxy composites can be used for a large number of applications. The results of this research are a strong evidence for GO/epoxy composites being a potential candidate for use in a variety of industrial applications, especially for automobile parts, aircraft components, and electronic parts such as supercapacitors, transistors, etc.

Mutual irradiation grafting on indigenous aramid fiber-3 in diethanolamine and epichlorohydrin and its effect on interfacially reinforced epoxy composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Lixin [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001,China (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Liu, Li, E-mail: liuli@hit.edu.cn [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001,China (China); Xie, Fei [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001,China (China); Huang, Yudong [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001,China (China); State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2016-07-01

Highlights: • High energy gamma rays were used to decorate the surface of aramid fiber via mutual irradiation grafting process in two medium. • The effects of different grafting medium on aramid fiber surface were investigated through SEM, AFM, XPS, wettability and adsorption measurements. • Interfacial properties of aramid reinforced polymer composites were remarkable improved after mutual irradiation. - Abstract: The surface of indigenous aramid fiber-3 (IAF3) was decorated via mutual irradiation grafting process in diethanolamine (DEA) and epichlorohydrin (ECH), respectively, with the assist of high energy gamma rays. This modification method with great permeability produced the homogeneous and ameliorative AF3 surfaces, which were observed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atom forced microscopy (AFM). Enhanced surface free energy and reduced contact angles of irradiated AF3 verified the fabulous effectiveness of mutual irradiation without seriously injured tensile strength. The composites based on epoxy resin (ER) polymer as the matrix and irradiated IAF3 grafted DEA and ECH as the reinforcement. By capitalizing on the irradiated IAF3 which has higher wettability and adsorption on resin, the irradiated IAF3-ECH/ER composites exhibit admirable interfacial mechanical performance as compared to the pristine IAF3 contained composites. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS), interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and flexural strength of composites were remarkable improved to 86.5, 60.13 and 511 MPa respectively, from the pristine IAF3/ER composite with IFSS of 65.9 MPa, ILSS of 48.1 MPa, and flexural strength of 479 MPa.

Mutual irradiation grafting on indigenous aramid fiber-3 in diethanolamine and epichlorohydrin and its effect on interfacially reinforced epoxy composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Lixin; Liu, Li; Xie, Fei; Huang, Yudong

2016-01-01

Highlights: • High energy gamma rays were used to decorate the surface of aramid fiber via mutual irradiation grafting process in two medium. • The effects of different grafting medium on aramid fiber surface were investigated through SEM, AFM, XPS, wettability and adsorption measurements. • Interfacial properties of aramid reinforced polymer composites were remarkable improved after mutual irradiation. - Abstract: The surface of indigenous aramid fiber-3 (IAF3) was decorated via mutual irradiation grafting process in diethanolamine (DEA) and epichlorohydrin (ECH), respectively, with the assist of high energy gamma rays. This modification method with great permeability produced the homogeneous and ameliorative AF3 surfaces, which were observed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atom forced microscopy (AFM). Enhanced surface free energy and reduced contact angles of irradiated AF3 verified the fabulous effectiveness of mutual irradiation without seriously injured tensile strength. The composites based on epoxy resin (ER) polymer as the matrix and irradiated IAF3 grafted DEA and ECH as the reinforcement. By capitalizing on the irradiated IAF3 which has higher wettability and adsorption on resin, the irradiated IAF3-ECH/ER composites exhibit admirable interfacial mechanical performance as compared to the pristine IAF3 contained composites. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS), interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and flexural strength of composites were remarkable improved to 86.5, 60.13 and 511 MPa respectively, from the pristine IAF3/ER composite with IFSS of 65.9 MPa, ILSS of 48.1 MPa, and flexural strength of 479 MPa.

Influence of the reaction stoichiometry on the mechanical and thermal properties of SWCNT-modified epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashrafi, Behnam; Johnston, Andrew; Martinez-Rubi, Yadienka; Kingston, Christopher T; Simard, Benoit; Khoun, Lolei; Yourdkhani, Mostafa; Hubert, Pascal

2013-01-01

Previous studies suggest that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a considerable influence on the curing behavior and crosslink density of epoxy resins. This invariably has an important effect on different thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy network. This work focuses on the important role of the epoxy/hardener mixing ratio on the mechanical and thermal properties of a high temperature aerospace-grade epoxy (MY0510 Araldite as an epoxy and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone as an aromatic hardener) modified with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The effects of three different stoichiometries (stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric) on various mechanical and thermal properties (fracture toughness, tensile properties, glass transition temperature) of the epoxy resin and its SWCNT-modified composites were obtained. The results were also supported by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For the neat resin, it was found that an epoxy/hardener molar ratio of 1:0.8 provides the best overall properties. In contrast, the pattern in property changes with the reaction stoichiometry was considerably different for composites reinforced with unfunctionalized SWCNTs and reduced SWCNTs. A comparison among composites suggests that a 1:1 molar ratio considerably outperforms the other two ratios examined in this work (1:0.8 and 1:1.1). This composition at 0.2 wt% SWCNT loading provides the highest overall mechanical properties by improving fracture toughness, ultimate tensile strength and ultimate tensile strain of the epoxy resin by 40%, 34%, 54%, respectively. (paper)

Mechanical properties of woven banana fibre reinforced epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapuan, S.M.; Leenie, A.; Harimi, M.; Beng, Y.K.

2006-01-01

In this paper, the experiments of tensile and flexural (three-point bending) tests were carried out using natural fibre with composite materials (Musaceae/epoxy). Three samples prepared from woven banana fibre composites of different geometries were used in this research. From the results obtained, it was found that the maximum value of stress in x-direction is 14.14 MN/m 2 , meanwhile the maximum value of stress in y-direction is 3.398 MN/m 2 . For the Young's modulus, the value of 0.976 GN/m 2 in x-direction and 0.863 GN/m 2 in y-direction were computed. As for the case of three-point bending (flexural), the maximum load applied is 36.25 N to get the deflection of woven banana fibre specimen beam of 0.5 mm. The maximum stress and Young's modulus in x-direction was recorded to be 26.181 MN/m 2 and 2.685 GN/m 2 , respectively. Statistical analysis using ANOVA-one way has showed that the differences of results obtained from those three samples are not significant, which confirm a very stable mechanical behaviour of the composites under different tests. This shows the importance of this product and allows many researchers to develop an adequate system for producing a good quality of woven banana fibre composite which maybe used for household utilities

Mechanical Properties and Tensile Fatigue of Graphene Nanoplatelets Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Yuan Shen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs are novel nanofillers possessing attractive characteristics, including robust compatibility with most polymers, high absolute strength, and cost effectiveness. In this study, GNPs were used to reinforce epoxy composite and epoxy/carbon fiber composite laminates to enhance their mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of GNPs/epoxy nanocomposite, such as ultimate tensile strength and flexure properties, were investigated. The fatigue life of epoxy/carbon fiber composite laminate with GPs-added 0.25 wt% was increased over that of neat laminates at all levels of cyclic stress. Consequently, significant improvement in the mechanical properties of ultimate tensile strength, flexure, and fatigue life was attained for these epoxy resin composites and carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composite laminates.

Measurement and Evaluation of Thermal Expansion Coefficients of Micrometer - Sized SiO{sub 2} Particle - Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jo, Hyu Sang; Kang, Hee Yong; Lee, Gyo Woo [Chonbuk National University, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-15

In this experimental study, the thermal stability values of micrometer-sized silica particle-reinforced epoxy composite specimens were evaluated by measuring their thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli. For all specimens used in this study (from the baseline specimen to that containing 70 wt% silica filler), the thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli were gradually reduced down to 25% and increased up to 51%, respectively. The results of the experiment were compared with those of certain empirical models. The experimental results of the measurement of thermal expansion coefficients corresponded well with those of Kerner's model, which considers the bulk and shear moduli of the matrix and silica filler. However, the results of the measurement of Young's moduli using the empirical Mori-Tanaka model were observed to match better with those of the experiment. The comparison of the results of the experiment with those of the empirical models demonstrated that a reliable model for measuring the thermal expansion coefficients and Young's moduli of composite specimens needs to consider certain property variations in the composites in addition to volume fraction changes in the filler and matrix.

Vacuum infusion manufacturing and experimental characterization of Kevlar/epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricciardi, M. R.; Giordano, M.; Antonucci, V.; Langella, A.; Nele, L.

2014-01-01

Epoxy/Kevlar composites have been manufactured by conventional Vacuum Infusion process and the Pulse Infusion technique. Pulse Infusion allows to control the pressure of the vacuum bag on the dry fiber reinforcement by using a proper designed pressure distributor that induces a pulsed transverse action and promotes the through thickness resin flow. The realized composite panel have been mechanically characterized by performing tensile and short beam shear tests according with the ASTM D3039 and ASTM D2344/D 2344M standard respectively in order to investigate the effect of Pulse Infusion on the tensile strength and ILSS

Vacuum infusion manufacturing and experimental characterization of Kevlar/epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Ricciardi, M. R.; Giordano, M.; Langella, A.; Nele, L.; Antonucci, V.

2014-05-01

Epoxy/Kevlar composites have been manufactured by conventional Vacuum Infusion process and the Pulse Infusion technique. Pulse Infusion allows to control the pressure of the vacuum bag on the dry fiber reinforcement by using a proper designed pressure distributor that induces a pulsed transverse action and promotes the through thickness resin flow. The realized composite panel have been mechanically characterized by performing tensile and short beam shear tests according with the ASTM D3039 and ASTM D2344/D 2344M standard respectively in order to investigate the effect of Pulse Infusion on the tensile strength and ILSS.

The Effect of an Active Diluent on the Properties of Epoxy Resin and Unidirectional Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Plastics

Science.gov (United States)

Solodilov, V. I.; Gorbatkina, Y. A.; Kuperman, A. M.

2003-11-01

The influence of an active diluent on the properties of an epoxy matrix and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) is investigated. The physicomechanical properties of an ED-20 epoxy resin modified with diglycidyl ether of diethylene glycol (DEG-1), the adhesion strength at the epoxy matrix-steel wire interface, and the mechanical properties of unidirectional CFRP are determined. The concentration of DEG-1 was varied from 0 to 50 wt.%. The properties of the matrix, the interface, and the composites are compared. It is stated that the matrix strength affects the strength of unidirectional CFRP in bending and not their strength in tension, compression, and shear. The latter fact seems somewhat unexpected. The interlaminar fracture toughness of the composites investigated correlates with the ultimate elongation of the binder. A comparison between the concentration dependences of adhesion strength and the strength of CFRP shows that the matrices utilized provide such a high interfacial strength that the strength of CFRP no longer depends on the adhesion of its constituents.

Viscoelastic behaviour and static fatigue strength of glass/epoxy composites. Influence of hydrothermal ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chateauminois, Antoine

1991-01-01

As ageing strength of composites appears to be one of the main criteria of their durability, this research thesis addresses the hydrothermal ageing of unidirectional glass/epoxy composites used for load-bearing structures. After having presented the used materials (epoxy matrix, reinforcement, composite elaboration), the author present the experimental techniques: viscoelastic analysis, three-point bend static fatigue test, coupled gravimetry and calorimetry, and thermogravimetry. In the next parts, the author reports the study of water sorption processes (bibliographical study, experimental study of water sorption kinetics, experimental study of interfacial diffusion within the composite), the study of plasticizing phenomena (methodology of study of plasticizing phenomena, study of the modifications of the linear viscoelastic behaviour in the glass transition region and at room temperature, relationship between plasticizing and fatigue mechanical properties by fracture studies), and the study of irreversible degradation and damage mechanisms

Surface treated fly ash filled modified epoxy composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uma Dharmalingam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Fly ash, an inorganic alumino silicate has been used as filler in epoxy matrix, but it reduces the mechanical properties due to its poor dispersion and interfacial bonding with the epoxy matrix. To improve its interfacial bonding with epoxy matrix, surface treatment of fly ash was done using surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate and silane coupling agent glycidoxy propyl trimethoxy silane. An attempt is also made to reduce the particle size of fly ash using high pressure pulverizer. To improve fly ash dispersion in epoxy matrix, the epoxy was modified by mixing with amine containing liquid silicone rubber (ACS. The effect of surface treated fly ash with varying filler loadings from 10 to 40% weight on the mechanical, morphological and thermal properties of modified epoxy composites was investigated. The surface treated fly ash was characterized by particle size analyzer and FTIR spectra. Morphological studies of surface treated fly ash filled modified epoxy composites indicate good dispersion of fillers in the modified epoxy matrix and improves its mechanical properties. Impact strength of the surface treated fly ash filled modified epoxy composites show more improvement than unmodified composites.

Mechanical properties of woven banana fibre reinforced epoxy composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sapuan, S.M. [Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia)]. E-mail: sapuan@eng.upm.my; Leenie, A. [Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Harimi, M. [School of Engineering and Information Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88999 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia); Beng, Y.K. [School of Engineering and Information Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88999 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia)

2006-07-01

In this paper, the experiments of tensile and flexural (three-point bending) tests were carried out using natural fibre with composite materials (Musaceae/epoxy). Three samples prepared from woven banana fibre composites of different geometries were used in this research. From the results obtained, it was found that the maximum value of stress in x-direction is 14.14 MN/m{sup 2}, meanwhile the maximum value of stress in y-direction is 3.398 MN/m{sup 2}. For the Young's modulus, the value of 0.976 GN/m{sup 2} in x-direction and 0.863 GN/m{sup 2} in y-direction were computed. As for the case of three-point bending (flexural), the maximum load applied is 36.25 N to get the deflection of woven banana fibre specimen beam of 0.5 mm. The maximum stress and Young's modulus in x-direction was recorded to be 26.181 MN/m{sup 2} and 2.685 GN/m{sup 2}, respectively. Statistical analysis using ANOVA-one way has showed that the differences of results obtained from those three samples are not significant, which confirm a very stable mechanical behaviour of the composites under different tests. This shows the importance of this product and allows many researchers to develop an adequate system for producing a good quality of woven banana fibre composite which maybe used for household utilities.

Fabrication and characterization of high impact hybrid matrix composites from thermoset resin and dyneema-glass fabric reinforcement

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, R. H.; Sharma, S.; Pansuriya, T.; Malgani, E. V.; Sevkani, V.

2018-05-01

Hybrid composites have been fabricated by hand lay-up technique with epoxy resin and diethylene tri amine as a hardener for high impact energy absorption with sandwich stacking of different reinforcements of dyneema and glass fabric. High impact grade composites are nowadays gaining a lot of importance in the field of high mechanical load bearing applications, ballistics and bulletproofing. The present work emphases on the fabrication and mechanical properties of the hybrid composites of cut resistant dyneema fabric along with glass fabric reinforced in the thermosetting resin. i.e. epoxy. The prime importance while fabricating such materials have been given to the processing along with selection of the raw materials. High impact resistive materials with low density and henceforth low weight have been manufactured and characterized by IZOD impact tester, UTM, Archimedes density meter and SEM. Throughout the work, satisfactory results have been obtained. Impact resistance was observed to be boosted three times as that of the reference sample of glass fabric and epoxy. The density of the hybrid composite is observed to be 25% as that of the reference sample.

Tensile and fatigue behavior of polymer composites reinforced with superelastic SMA strands

Science.gov (United States)

Daghash, Sherif M.; Ozbulut, Osman E.

2018-06-01

This study explores the use of superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) strands, which consist of seven individual small-diameter wires, in an epoxy matrix and characterizes the tensile and fatigue responses of the developed SMA/epoxy composites. Using a vacuum assisted hand lay-up technique, twelve SMA fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) specimens were fabricated. The developed SMA-FRP composites had a fiber volume ratio of 50%. Tensile response of SMA-FRP specimens were characterized under both monotonic loading and increasing amplitude loading and unloading cycles. The degradation in superelastic properties of the developed SMA-FRP composites during fatigue loading at different strain amplitudes was investigated. The effect of loading rate on the fatigue response of SMA-FRP composites was also explored. In addition, fractured specimens were examined using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique to study the failure mechanisms of the tested specimens. A good interfacial bonding between the SMA strands and epoxy matrix was observed. The developed SMA-FRP composites exhibited good superelastic behavior at different strain amplitudes up to at least 800 cycle after which significant degradation occurred.

Degradation of basalt fibre and glass fibre/epoxy resin composites in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Bin; Cao Hailin; Song Shenhua

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → BFRP degradation process in seawater environment was first investigated. → The mass gain change includes two effects: absorption and extraction. → The interfacial adhesion of BFRP is bigger than GFRP. → After treated, the bending strength of BFRP is lower than GFRP. → Reducing the Fe 2+ in the basalt fibre could lead to a higher stability of BFRP. - Abstract: Epoxy resins reinforced, respectively, by basalt fibres and glass fibres were treated with a seawater solution for different periods of time. Both the mass gain ratio and the strength maintenance ratio of the composites were examined after the treatment. The fracture surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The tensile and bending strengths of the seawater treated samples showed a decreasing trend with treating time. In general, the anti-seawater corrosion property of the basalt fibre reinforced composites was almost the same as that of the glass fibre reinforced ones. Based on the experimental results, possible corrosion mechanisms were explored, indicating that an effective lowering of the Fe 2+ content in the basalt fibre could lead to a higher stability for the basalt fibre reinforced composites in a seawater environment.

Young modulus and internal friction of a fiber-reinforced composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledbetter, H.M.; Lei, M.; Austin, M.W.

1986-01-01

By a kilohertz-frequency resonance method we determined the Young modulus and internal friction of a uniaxially fiber-reinforced composite. The composite comprised glass fibers in an epoxy-resin matrix. We studied three fiber contents: 0, 41, and 49 vol %. The Young modulus fit a linear rule of mixture. The internal friction fit a classical free-damped-oscillator model where one assumes a linear rule of mixture for three quantities: mass, force constant, and mechanical-resistance constant

Micromechanical failure in fiber-reinforced composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashouri Vajari, Danial

Micromechanical failure mechanisms occurring in unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites are studied by means of the finite element method as well as experimental testing. This study highlights the effect of micro-scale features such as fiber/matrix interfacial debonding, matrix cracking...... and microvoids on the microscopic and macroscopic mechanical response of composite materials. To this end, first a numerical study is carried out to explore ways to stabilize interfacial crack growth under dominant Mode-I fracture using the cohesive zone model. Consequently, this study suggests a method...... composites. In the first approach, the J2 plasticity model is implemented to model the elasto-plastic behavior of the matrix while in the second strategy the modified Drucker-Prager plasticity model is utilized to account for brittle-like and pressure dependent behavior of an epoxy matrix. In addition...

Transient thermal-mechanical behavior of cracked glass-cloth-reinforced epoxy laminates at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shindo, Y.; Ueda, S.

1997-01-01

We consider the transient thermal-mechanical response of cracked G-10CR glass-cloth-reinforced epoxy laminates with temperature-dependent properties. The glass-cloth-reinforced epoxy laminates are suddenly cooled on the surfaces. A generalized plane strain finite element model is used to study the influence of warp angle and crack formation on the thermal shock behavior of two-layer woven laminates at low temperatures. Numerical calculations are carried out, and the transient temperature distribution and the thermal-mechanical stresses are shown graphically

Wettability of nano-epoxies to UHMWPE fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Neema, S; Salehi-Khojin, A; Zhamu, A; Zhong, W H; Jana, S; Gan, Y X

2006-07-01

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers have a unique combination of outstanding mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. However, as reinforcements for manufacturing high performance composite materials, UHMWPE fibers have poor wettability with most polymers. As a result, the interfacial bonding strength between the fibers and polymer matrices is very low. Recently, developing so-called nano-matrices containing reactive graphitic nanofibers (r-GNFs) has been proposed to promote the wetting of such matrices to certain types of fiber reinforcements. In this work, the wettability of UHMWPE fibers with different epoxy matrices including a nano-epoxy, and a pure epoxy was investigated. Systematic experimental work was conducted to determine the viscosity of the epoxies, the contact angle between the epoxies and the fibers. Also obtained are the surface energy of the fibers and the epoxies. The experimental results show that the wettability of the UHMWPE fibers with the nano-epoxy is much better than that of the UHMWPE fibers with the pure epoxy.

Experimental data on the properties of natural fiber particle reinforced polymer composite material.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandramohan, D; Presin Kumar, A John

2017-08-01

This paper presents an experimental study on the development of polymer bio-composites. The powdered coconut shell, walnut shells and Rice husk are used as reinforcements with bio epoxy resin to form hybrid composite specimens. The fiber compositions in each specimen are 1:1 while the resin and hardener composition 10:1 respectively. The fabricated composites were tested as per ASTM standards to evaluate mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, shear strength and impact strength are evaluated in both with moisture and without moisture. The result of test shows that hybrid composite has far better properties than single fibre glass reinforced composite under mechanical loads. However it is found that the incorporation of walnut shell and coconut shell fibre can improve the properties.

Modelling Behaviour of a Carbon Epoxy Composite Exposed to Fire: Part I-Characterisation of Thermophysical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Tranchard, Pauline; Samyn, Fabienne; Duquesne, Sophie; Estèbe, Bruno; Bourbigot, Serge

2017-05-04

Thermophysical properties of a carbon-reinforced epoxy composite laminate (T700/M21 composite for aircraft structures) were evaluated using different innovative characterisation methods. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Simultaneous Thermal analysis (STA), Laser Flash analysis (LFA), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis were used for measuring the thermal decomposition, the specific heat capacity, the anisotropic thermal conductivity of the composite, the heats of decomposition and the specific heat capacity of released gases. It permits to get input data to feed a three-dimensional (3D) model given the temperature profile and the mass loss obtained during well-defined fire scenarios (model presented in Part II of this paper). The measurements were optimised to get accurate data. The data also permit to create a public database on an aeronautical carbon fibre/epoxy composite for fire safety engineering.

Influence of MWCNTs addition on mechanical and thermal behaviour of epoxy/kenaf multi-scale nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Noor, N. A. M.; Razak, J. A.; Ismail, S.; Mohamad, N.; Yaakob, M. Y.; Theng, T. H.

2017-06-01

This research was conducted to develop kenaf reinforced epoxy/MWCNTs multi-scale composite using kenaf fibre and MWCNTs as the reinforcement in epoxy as the hosted matrix. The composites were produced by using a combination of hand lay-up and vacuum bagging process. The selection of optimum composition of epoxy-MWCNTs is based on the MWCNTs loading and the resulted mixture viscosity. Lower resin viscosity is required to allow good wetting and interaction between matrix and filler, which will yielded superior final performance of the fabricated composites. Therefore, different loading of MWCNTs (0.0 wt. %, 0.5 wt. %, 1.0 wt. %, 3.0 wt. %, 5.0 wt. %, 7.0 wt. %) were used to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. As a result, the epoxy/kenaf/MWCNTs multi-scale composite at 1.0 wt. % of MWCNTs addition had yielded substantial improvement by 15.54 % in tensile strength and 90.54 % in fracture toughness. Besides, the fracture surface morphology of the selected samples were analysed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation to further support the reinforcement characteristic of epoxy/kenaf/MWCNTs multi-scale composite.

Evaluation of Impact Strength of Epoxy Based Hybrid Composites Reinforced with E-Glass/Kevlar 49

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUBHAN ALIJOGI

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In hybridization different fibers are stacked layer by layer to produce laminates have specific strength and stiffness and employed in light weight high strength applications. Physically mean fabricated hybrid composites used in aerospace, under water, body armors and armed forces establishment. In present work drop-weight impact response of hybrid composites were investigated by making laminates of hybrid composites. In Hybridization layers of E-glass (roving and Kevlar 49 fabrics stacked with epoxy resin. The layers formulation was set up by hand layup method. Impregnationsof epoxy resin of commercial grade (601A in fabrics were accomplished by VRTM (Vacuum Bagging Resin Transfer Molding technique. Layup placementof Glass fibers/ Kevlar at 0°/90°, 45°/45° and 30°/60° were set for this work. Mechanical properties such as impact strength, bear resistance and break resistance were analyzed by usingASTM D-256 and D-3763 standard.Experimental investigation was conducted using instrumented Dart impact and Izod Impact test. E-glass/Kevlar 49 at layup 0°/90°and 30°/60°exhibited improvedimpact strength than 45°/45°. The surface morphology and fractography were also investigated by capturing different images of Specimens by using the SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy. The fiberreinforcement and matrix fracture were also observed by using SEM.The SEM images suggest that epoxy resin tightly bonded with Kevlar fibers whereas Glass fibers were pulled out from laminations.

Evaluation of impact strength of epoxy based hybrid composites reinforced with e-glass/kevlar 49

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jogi, S.A.; Memon, I.A.; Baloch, M.; Chandio, A.D.

2017-01-01

In hybridization different fibers are stacked layer by layer to produce laminates have specific strength and stiffness and employed in light weight high strength applications. Physically mean fabricated hybrid composites used in aerospace, under water, body armors and armed forces establishment. In present work drop-weight impact response of hybrid composites were investigated by making laminates of hybrid composites. In Hybridization layers of E-glass (roving) and Kevlar 49 fabrics stacked with epoxy resin. The layers formulation was set up by hand layup method. Impregnations of epoxy resin of commercial grade (601A) in fabrics were accomplished by VRTM (Vacuum Bagging Resin Transfer Molding) technique. Layup placementof Glass fibers/ Kevlar at 0 degree/90 degree, 45 degree/45 degree and 30 degree/60 degree were set for this work. Mechanical properties such as impact strength, bear resistance and break resistance were analyzed by using ASTM D-256 and D-3763 standard. Experimental investigation was conducted using instrumented Dart impact and Izod Impact test. E-glass/Kevlar 49 at layup 0 degree/90 degree and 30 degree/60 degree exhibited improvedimpact strength than 45 degree/45 degree. The surface morphology and fractography were also investigated by capturing different images of Specimens by using the SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). The fiberreinforcement and matrix fracture were also observed by using SEM.The SEM images suggest that epoxy resin tightly bonded with Kevlar fibers whereas Glass fibers were pulled out from laminations. (author)

Radio frequency shielding behaviour of silane treated Fe2O3/E-glass fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composite

Science.gov (United States)

Arun prakash, V. R.; Rajadurai, A.

2016-10-01

In this work, radio frequency shielding behaviour of polymer (epoxy) matrixes composed of E-glass fibres and Fe2O3 fillers have been studied. The principal aim of this project is to prepare suitable shielding material for RFID application. When RFID unit is pasted on a metal plate without shielding material, the sensing distance is reduced, resulting in a less than useful RFID system. To improve RF shielding of epoxy, fibres and fillers were utilized. Magnetic behaviour of epoxy polymer composites was measured by hysteresis graphs (B-H) followed by radio frequency identifier setup. Fe2O3 particles of sizes 800, 200 and 100 nm and E-glass fibre woven mat of 600 g/m2 were used to make composites. Particle sizes of 800 nm and 200 nm were prepared by high-energy ball milling, whereas particles of 100 nm were prepared by sol-gel method. To enhance better dispersion of particles within the epoxy matrix, a surface modification process was carried out on fillers by an amino functional coupling agent called 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS). Crystalline and functional groups of siliconized Fe2O3 particles were characterized by XRD and FTIR spectroscopy analysis. Variable quantity of E-glass fibre (25, 35, and 45 vol%) was laid down along with 0.5 and 1.0 vol% of 800, 200, and 100 nm size Fe2O3 particles into the matrix, to fabricate the hybrid composites. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images reveal the shape and size of Fe2O3 particles for different milling times and particle dispersion in the epoxy matrix. The maximum improved sensing distance of 45.2, 39.4 and 43.5 % was observed for low-, high-, and ultra-high radio frequency identifier setup along with shielding composite consist of epoxy, 1 vol% 200 nm Fe2O3 particles and 45 vol% of E-glass fibre.

Toughening Effect of Microscale Particles on the Tensile and Vibration Properties of S-Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Erkliğ, A.; Bulut, M.; Fayzulla, B.

2018-03-01

The effect of borax, sewage sludge ash, silicon carbide, and perlite microparticles on the tensile, damping, and vibration characteristics of S-glass/epoxy composite laminates was examined Their damping and vibration properties were evaluated experimentally by using the dynamic modal analysis, identifying the response of the fundamental natural frequency to the type and weight content of the particulates. The results obtained showed that the introduction of specific amounts of such particulates into the matrix of S-glass/epoxy composite noticeably improved its mechanical properties.

Evaluation of a metal shear web selectively reinforced with filamentary composites for space shuttle application. Phase 1 summary report: Shear web design development

Science.gov (United States)

Laakso, J. H.; Zimmerman, D. K.

1972-01-01

An advanced composite shear web design concept was developed for the Space Shuttle orbiter main engine thrust beam structure. Various web concepts were synthesized by a computer-aided adaptive random search procedure. A practical concept is identified having a titanium-clad + or - 45 deg boron/epoxy web plate with vertical boron/epoxy reinforced aluminum stiffeners. The boron-epoxy laminate contributes to the strength and stiffness efficiency of the basic web section. The titanium-cladding functions to protect the polymeric laminate parts from damaging environments and is chem-milled to provide reinforcement in selected areas. Detailed design drawings are presented for both boron/epoxy reinforced and all-metal shear webs. The weight saving offered is 24% relative to all-metal construction at an attractive cost per pound of weight saved, based on the detailed designs. Small scale element tests substantiate the boron/epoxy reinforced design details in critical areas. The results show that the titanium-cladding reliably reinforces the web laminate in critical edge load transfer and stiffener fastener hole areas.

Mechanical Performance of Natural / Natural Fiber Reinforced Hybrid Composite Materials Using Finite Element Method Based Micromechanics and Experiments

OpenAIRE

Rahman, Muhammad Ziaur

2017-01-01

A micromechanical analysis of the representative volume element (RVE) of a unidirectional flax/jute fiber reinforced epoxy composite is performed using finite element analysis (FEA). To do so, first effective mechanical properties of flax fiber and jute fiber are evaluated numerically and then used in evaluating the effective properties of ax/jute/epoxy hybrid composite. Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG), a new homogenization tool developed in Purdue University, is used to calculate the hom...

Development of AlN/Epoxy Composites with Enhanced Thermal Conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yonggang; Yang, Chi; Li, Jun; Zhang, Hailong; Hu, Song; Wang, Shiwei

2017-01-01

AlN/epoxy composites with high thermal conductivity were successfully prepared by infiltrating epoxy into AlN porous ceramics which were fabricated by gelcasting of foaming method. The microstructure, mechanical, and thermal properties of the resulting composites were investigated. The compressive strengths of the AlN/epoxy composites were enhanced compared with the pure epoxy. The AlN/epoxy composites demonstrate much higher thermal conductivity, up to 19.0 W/(m·K), compared with those by the traditional particles filling method, because of continuous thermal channels formed by the walls and struts of AlN porous ceramics. This study demonstrates a potential route to manufacture epoxy-based composites with extremely high thermal conductivity. PMID:29258277

Development of AlN/Epoxy Composites with Enhanced Thermal Conductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yonggang; Yang, Chi; Li, Jun; Mao, Xiaojian; Zhang, Hailong; Hu, Song; Wang, Shiwei

2017-12-18

AlN/epoxy composites with high thermal conductivity were successfully prepared by infiltrating epoxy into AlN porous ceramics which were fabricated by gelcasting of foaming method. The microstructure, mechanical, and thermal properties of the resulting composites were investigated. The compressive strengths of the AlN/epoxy composites were enhanced compared with the pure epoxy. The AlN/epoxy composites demonstrate much higher thermal conductivity, up to 19.0 W/(m·K), compared with those by the traditional particles filling method, because of continuous thermal channels formed by the walls and struts of AlN porous ceramics. This study demonstrates a potential route to manufacture epoxy-based composites with extremely high thermal conductivity.

Functionalized Multi walled Carbon Nano tubes-Reinforced Viny lester/Epoxy Blend Based Nano composites: Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Praharaj, A. P.; Behera, D.; Bastia, T. K.; Rout, A. K.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a study on the mechanical, thermal, and electrical characterization of a new class of low cost multiphase nano composites consisting of Vinyl ester resin/epoxy (VER/EP) blend (40:60 w/w) reinforced with amine functionalized multi walled carbon nano tubes (f-MWCNTs). Five different sets of VER/EP nano composites are fabricated with addition of 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt.% of f-MWCNTs. A detailed investigation of mechanical properties like tensile strength, impact strength, Young’s modulus, and hardness, thermal properties like thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermal conductivity, electrical properties like dielectric strength, dielectric constant, and electrical conductivity, and corrosive and swelling properties of the nano composites has been carried out. Here, we report significant improvement in all the above properties of the fabricated nano composites with nano filler (f-MWCNTs) addition compared to the virgin blend (0 wt. nano filler loading). The properties are best observed in case of 5 wt.% nano filler loading with gradual deterioration thereafter which may be due to the nucleating tendency of the nano filler particles. Thus the above nano composites could be a preferable candidate for a wide range of structural, thermal, electrical, and solvent based applications.

STUDY OF SINGLE WALLED CARBON NANOTUBE REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES BY HANSEN SOLUBILITY PARAMETERS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ma, Jing

reinforcement of the polymer by the addition of SWNTs. Existence of agglomerates, voids, and the lower glass transition temperature of epoxy resin, may give the negative effect on the mechanical properties of nanocomposite materials. In the design aspect of the composite material, HSP could help match SWNTs...

Experimental data on the properties of natural fiber particle reinforced polymer composite material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Chandramohan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an experimental study on the development of polymer bio-composites. The powdered coconut shell, walnut shells and Rice husk are used as reinforcements with bio epoxy resin to form hybrid composite specimens. The fiber compositions in each specimen are 1:1 while the resin and hardener composition 10:1 respectively. The fabricated composites were tested as per ASTM standards to evaluate mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, shear strength and impact strength are evaluated in both with moisture and without moisture. The result of test shows that hybrid composite has far better properties than single fibre glass reinforced composite under mechanical loads. However it is found that the incorporation of walnut shell and coconut shell fibre can improve the properties.

Modelling Behaviour of a Carbon Epoxy Composite Exposed to Fire: Part I—Characterisation of Thermophysical Properties

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Pauline Tranchard

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Thermophysical properties of a carbon-reinforced epoxy composite laminate (T700/M21 composite for aircraft structures were evaluated using different innovative characterisation methods. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA, Simultaneous Thermal analysis (STA, Laser Flash analysis (LFA, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR analysis were used for measuring the thermal decomposition, the specific heat capacity, the anisotropic thermal conductivity of the composite, the heats of decomposition and the specific heat capacity of released gases. It permits to get input data to feed a three-dimensional (3D model given the temperature profile and the mass loss obtained during well-defined fire scenarios (model presented in Part II of this paper. The measurements were optimised to get accurate data. The data also permit to create a public database on an aeronautical carbon fibre/epoxy composite for fire safety engineering.

Modelling Behaviour of a Carbon Epoxy Composite Exposed to Fire: Part I—Characterisation of Thermophysical Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Tranchard, Pauline; Samyn, Fabienne; Duquesne, Sophie; Estèbe, Bruno; Bourbigot, Serge

2017-01-01

Thermophysical properties of a carbon-reinforced epoxy composite laminate (T700/M21 composite for aircraft structures) were evaluated using different innovative characterisation methods. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Simultaneous Thermal analysis (STA), Laser Flash analysis (LFA), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis were used for measuring the thermal decomposition, the specific heat capacity, the anisotropic thermal conductivity of the composite, the heats of decomposition and the specific heat capacity of released gases. It permits to get input data to feed a three-dimensional (3D) model given the temperature profile and the mass loss obtained during well-defined fire scenarios (model presented in Part II of this paper). The measurements were optimised to get accurate data. The data also permit to create a public database on an aeronautical carbon fibre/epoxy composite for fire safety engineering. PMID:28772854

Studies on the chemical resistance and mechanical properties of natural polyalthia cerasoides woven fabric/glass hybridized epoxy composites

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Jayaramudu, J

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the present work, natural Polyalthiacerasoide woven fabrics were extracted from the bark of the tree and using these woven fabrics/glass fibre as reinforcements and epoxy as matrix the hybrid composites were prepared by the hand lay-up technique...

Stochastic estimation of acoustic impedance of glass-reinforced epoxy coating 128-134

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, No Hyu [School of MechatronicEngineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Chunan (Korea, Republic of); Nah, Hwan Seon [Structural Engineering Lab., Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-04-15

An epoxy coating applied to the concrete surface of a containment building deteriorates in hazardous environments such as those containing radiation, heat, and moisture. Unlike metals, the epoxy coating on a concrete liner absorbs and discharges moisture during the degradations process, so it has a different density and volume during service. In this study, acoustic impedance was adopted for characterizing the degradation of a glass-reinforced epoxy coating using the acoustic reflection coefficient (reflectance) on a rough epoxy coating. For estimating the acoustic reflectance on a wavy epoxy coating surface, a probabilistic model was developed to represent the multiple irregular reflections of the acoustic wave from the wavy surface on the basis of the simulated annealing technique. A number of epoxy-coated concrete specimens were prepared and exposed to accelerated aging conditions to induce an artificial aging degradation in them. The acoustic impedance of the degraded epoxy coating was estimated successfully by minimizing the error between a waveform calculated from the mathematical model and a waveform measured from the surface of the rough coating.

Stochastic estimation of acoustic impedance of glass-reinforced epoxy coating 128-134

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, No Hyu; Nah, Hwan Seon

2014-01-01

An epoxy coating applied to the concrete surface of a containment building deteriorates in hazardous environments such as those containing radiation, heat, and moisture. Unlike metals, the epoxy coating on a concrete liner absorbs and discharges moisture during the degradations process, so it has a different density and volume during service. In this study, acoustic impedance was adopted for characterizing the degradation of a glass-reinforced epoxy coating using the acoustic reflection coefficient (reflectance) on a rough epoxy coating. For estimating the acoustic reflectance on a wavy epoxy coating surface, a probabilistic model was developed to represent the multiple irregular reflections of the acoustic wave from the wavy surface on the basis of the simulated annealing technique. A number of epoxy-coated concrete specimens were prepared and exposed to accelerated aging conditions to induce an artificial aging degradation in them. The acoustic impedance of the degraded epoxy coating was estimated successfully by minimizing the error between a waveform calculated from the mathematical model and a waveform measured from the surface of the rough coating.

A novel method based on selective laser sintering for preparing high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy ternary composites

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei; Yan, Chunze; Shi, Yunsong; Wen, Shifeng; Liu, Jie; Wei, Qingsong; Shi, Yusheng

2016-09-01

A novel method based on selective laser sintering (SLS) process is proposed for the first time to prepare complex and high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy (CF/PA12/EP) ternary composites. The procedures are briefly described as follows: prepare polyamide12 (PA12) coated carbon fibre (CF) composite powder; build porous green parts by SLS; infiltrate the green parts with high-performance thermosetting epoxy (EP) resin; and finally cure the resin at high temperature. The obtained composites are a ternary composite system consisting of the matrix of novolac EP resin, the reinforcement of CFs and the transition thin layer of PA12 with a thickness of 595 nm. The SEM images and micro-CT analysis prove that the ternary system is a three-dimensional co-continuous structure and the reinforcement of CFs are well dispersed in the matrix of EP with the volume fraction of 31%. Mechanical tests show that the composites fabricated by this method yield an ultimate tensile strength of 101.03 MPa and a flexural strength of 153.43 MPa, which are higher than those of most of the previously reported SLS materials. Therefore, the process proposed in this paper shows great potential for manufacturing complex, lightweight and high-performance CF reinforced composite components in aerospace, automotive industries and other areas.

Nanostructure of tetrafunctional epoxy resins and composites: Correlation to moisture absorption properties

Science.gov (United States)

Bolan, Brett Andrew

The effect that changes in network topology, while maintaining a constant network polarity (i.e. thermodynamic driving force was kept constant), had upon the moisture absorption properties of an aerospace grade tetrafunctional epoxy (TGMDA) cured with multifunctional amines were investigated. Utilizing Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) to characterize the nanoscale structure of these epoxies, it was found that as the "static" hole volume (a measurement of packing defects at 0K) increased so did the equilibrium uptake. PALS studies of one of these resins cured to varying extents, found that this static amount increased with degree of cure indicating that the network becomes more open as a direct consequence of crosslinking. Polar groups, which are the attractive force for diffusion, are in the vicinity of these crosslinks, therefore it is believed that the increase in static hole volume results in exposing more polar groups for absorption. The diffusion coefficient, which is representative of the kinetic aspect of diffusion, was also investigated. It was discovered that the amount of nanohole volume in the polymer; whether the total, the static, or dynamic (i.e. thermally activated) does not correlate to the diffusion coefficient in anyway. Furthermore, at an isotherm the diffusion coefficients for all these materials were relatively constant. From this it is hypothesized that it is the similar sub-Tsb{g} motions of these resins which is the rate limiting step in diffusion. This was bolstered by the fact that the activation energy for diffusion and for the sub-Tsb{g} motions for these epoxies are of the same order of magnitude. The nanostructure of fiber reinforced epoxy composites (i.e. a boron/epoxy and a graphite/epoxy) were probed with the bulk PALS technique as well. It was observed that for the graphite/epoxy composite and its flash (i.e. no fibers present) cured under identical conditions, that the nanoholes in the composite were larger than

Electrical and Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Graphene-Reinforced Epoxy

Science.gov (United States)

Compton, Brett G.; Hmeidat, Nadim S.; Pack, Robert C.; Heres, Maximilian F.; Sangoro, Joshua R.

2018-03-01

Recent developments in additive manufacturing have demonstrated the potential for thermoset polymer feedstock materials to achieve high strength, stiffness, and functionality through incorporation of structural and functional filler materials. In this work, graphene was investigated as a potential filler material to provide rheological properties necessary for direct-write three-dimensional (3D) printing and electrostatic discharge properties to the printed component. The rheological properties of epoxy/graphene mixtures were characterized, and printable epoxy/graphene inks formulated. Sheet resistance values for printed epoxy/graphene composites ranged from 0.67 × 102 Ω/sq to 8.2 × 103 Ω/sq. The flexural strength of printed epoxy/graphene composites was comparable to that of cast neat epoxy ( 80 MPa), suggesting great potential for these new materials in multifunctional 3D-printed devices.

Mechanical properties and environmental effects of epoxy resins in the neat state and in composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.M.P.

1984-01-01

The dynamic mechanical properties of graphite fiber reinforced, epoxy matrix composite laminates subjected to loading perpendicular to the plane of lamination and of neat epoxy resin are reported. The centrosymmetric deformation (CSD) test geometry provides an accurate and convenient test mode for the study of the viscoelastic behavior of very stiff graphite-epoxy laminates. It is found that the in-phase and out-of-phase stiffness superpose to form master curves covering a frequency range of 12 decades. By a suitable scaling procedure of the master curves, it is found that the in-phase stiffness has the same shape and the out-of-phase has the same dispersion for all laminates irrespective of the stacking sequence. The dispersion characteristics of in-situ and neat resin epoxy were nearly identical, but with the neat resin having a lower glass-transition temperature. The graphite/epoxy composites and neat resin epoxy have been shown to be sensitive to hygrothermal environment. For postcured specimens the plasticization and inhomogeneous swelling effects due to the moisture absorbed are found to be reversible, in the sense that the initially dry properties of the laminate are recovered after redrying the wet specimen. On the other hand, for as cured specimens, the plasticization and inhomogeneous swelling effects are found to be irreversible under the same hygrothermal environment

Modification of a Phenolic Resin with Epoxy- and Methacrylate-Functionalized Silica Sols to Improve the Ablation Resistance of Their Glass Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Hu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Functionalized silica sols were obtained by the hydrolytic condensation of (γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPMS, (γ-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPMS and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS. Three different sols were obtained: MPS (derived from MPMS and TEOS, GPS-MPS (derived from GPMS, MPMS and TEOS, and GPSD (derived from GPMS, TEOS and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DGEBA. These silica sols were mixed with a phenolic resin (PR. Ethylenediamine was used as a hardener for epoxy-functionalized sols and benzoyl peroxide was used as an initiator of the free-radical polymerization of methacrylate-functionalized silica sols. Glass fiber-reinforced composites were obtained from the neat PR and MPS-PR, GPS-MPS-PR and GPSD-PR. The resulting composites were evaluated as ablation resistant materials in an acetylene-oxygen flame. A large increase in the ablation resistance was observed when the PR was modified by the functionalized silica sols. The ablation resistance of the composites decreased as follows: GPSD-PR > MPS-PR > GPS-MPS-PR > PR.

Isolation of aramid nanofibers for high strength multiscale fiber reinforced composites

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiajun; Patterson, Brendan A.; Malakooti, Mohammad H.; Sodano, Henry A.

2018-03-01

Aramid fibers are famous for their high specific strength and energy absorption properties and have been intensively used for soft body armor and ballistic protection. However, the use of aramid fiber reinforced composites is barely observed in structural applications. Aramid fibers have smooth and inert surfaces that are unable to form robust adhesion to polymeric matrices due to their high crystallinity. Here, a novel method to effectively integrate aramid fibers into composites is developed through utilization of aramid nanofibers. Aramid nanofibers are prepared from macroscale aramid fibers (such as Kevlar®) and isolated through a simple and scalable dissolution method. Prepared aramid nanofibers are dispersible in many polymers due to their improved surface reactivity, meanwhile preserve the conjugated structure and likely the strength of their macroscale counterparts. Simultaneously improved elastic modulus, strength and fracture toughness are observed in aramid nanofiber reinforced epoxy nanocomposites. When integrated in continuous fiber reinforced composites, aramid nanofibers can also enhance interfacial properties by forming hydrogen bonds and π-π coordination to bridge matrix and macroscale fibers. Such multiscale reinforcement by aramid nanofibers and continuous fibers results in strong polymeric composites with robust mechanical properties that are necessary and long desired for structural applications.

High-performance fiber/epoxy composite pressure vessels

Science.gov (United States)

Chiao, T. T.; Hamstad, M. A.; Jessop, E. S.; Toland, R. H.

1978-01-01

Activities described include: (1) determining the applicability of an ultrahigh-strength graphite fiber to composite pressure vessels; (2) defining the fatigue performance of thin-titanium-lined, high-strength graphite/epoxy pressure vessel; (3) selecting epoxy resin systems suitable for filament winding; (4) studying the fatigue life potential of Kevlar 49/epoxy pressure vessels; and (5) developing polymer liners for composite pressure vessels. Kevlar 49/epoxy and graphite fiber/epoxy pressure vessels, 10.2 cm in diameter, some with aluminum liners and some with alternation layers of rubber and polymer were fabricated. To determine liner performance, vessels were subjected to gas permeation tests, fatigue cycling, and burst tests, measuring composite performance, fatigue life, and leak rates. Both the metal and the rubber/polymer liner performed well. Proportionately larger pressure vessels (20.3 and 38 cm in diameter) were made and subjected to the same tests. In these larger vessels, line leakage problems with both liners developed the causes of the leaks were identified and some solutions to such liner problems are recommended.

Enhanced durability of carbon nanotube grafted hierarchical ceramic microfiber-reinforced epoxy composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Ajay; Hunston, Donald L; Forster, Amanda L; Natarajan, Bharath; Liotta, Andrew H; Wicks, Sunny S; Stutzman, Paul E; Wardle, Brian L; Liddle, J Alexander; Forster, Aaron M

2017-12-01

As carbon nanotube (CNT) infused hybrid composites are increasingly identified as next-generation aerospace materials, it is vital to evaluate their long-term structural performance under aging environments. In this work, the durability of hierarchical, aligned CNT grafted aluminoborosilicate microfiber-epoxy composites (CNT composites) are compared against baseline aluminoborosilicate composites (baseline composites), before and after immersion in water at 25 °C (hydro) and 60 °C (hydrothermal), for extended durations (90 d and 180 d). The addition of CNTs is found to reduce water diffusivities by approximately 1.5 times. The mechanical properties (bending strength and modulus) and the damage sensing capabilities (DC conductivity) of CNT composites remain intact regardless of exposure conditions. The baseline composites show significant loss of strength (44 %) after only 15 d of hydrothermal aging. This loss of mechanical strength is attributed to fiber-polymer interfacial debonding caused by accumulation of water at high temperatures. In situ acoustic and DC electrical measurements of hydrothermally aged CNT composites identify extensive stress-relieving micro-cracking and crack deflections that are absent in the aged baseline composites. These observations are supported by SEM images of the failed composite cross-sections that highlight secondary matrix toughening mechanisms in the form of CNT pullouts and fractures which enhance the service life of composites and maintain their properties under accelerated aging environments.

Corrosion protection of the reinforcing steels in chloride-laden concrete environment through epoxy/polyaniline–camphorsulfonate nanocomposite coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pour-Ali, Sadegh; Dehghanian, Changiz; Kosari, Ali

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Epoxy/polyaniline–camphorsulfonate nanocomposite coating well protects steel rebar. • Coating performance is evaluated by impedance measurements up to 1 year. • Ultimate bond strength between the coated rebars and concrete is measured. • Self-compacting concrete shows better anticorrosive property compared to normal one. - Abstract: In this study, an epoxy/polyaniline–camphorsulfonate nanocomposite (epoxy/PANI–CSA) is employed to protect reinforcing steels in chloride-laden concrete environment. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Bare, epoxy-coated and epoxy/PANI–CSA nanocomposite-coated steel rebars were embedded in normal and self-compacting concretes. To evaluate their corrosion behaviors, open circuit potential and impedance measurements were performed for the duration of 1 year. Ultimate bond strength of concrete with the reinforcement bars were measured in corroded and uncorroded conditions. It was found that epoxy/PANI–CSA coating provides good corrosion resistance and durable bond strength with concrete for steel rebars

Hygrothermal effects on the mechanical behaviour of graphite fibre-reinforced epoxy laminates beyond initial failure

Science.gov (United States)

Ishai, O.; Garg, A.; Nelson, H. G.

1986-01-01

The critical load levels and associated cracking beyond which a multidirectional laminate can be considered as structurally failed has been determined by loading graphite fiber-reinforced epoxy laminates to different strain levels up to ultimate failure. Transverse matrix cracking was monitored by acoustic and optical methods. The residual stiffness and strength parallel and perpendicular to the cracks were determined and related to the environmental/loading history. Within the range of experimental conditions studied, it is concluded that the transverse cracking process does not have a crucial effect on the structural performance of multidirectional composite laminates.

Radiation effects on epoxy composites at cryogenic temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaoka, H.; Miyata, K.; Nishijima, S.; Okada, T.

1995-01-01

Radiation effects on glass-fiber reinforced epoxy composites at cryogenic temperatures has been studied by measuring the changes in interlaminar shear strength of the specimens. The scanning electron microscope observation has also been performed on fracture surface of the specimens. At 8.5 MGy of absorbed dose, only 10 % decrease of the strength was observed in the case of gamma irradiation, whereas over 80 % decrease of the strength was found on the reactor irradiated specimen. The difference of degradation behavior between gamma and reactor irradiations is attributed to the additional absorbed dose in the latter from the nuclear reaction due to boron-10 contained in the glass fibers by capture of thermal neutrons. (author)

Effect of Coconut Fillers on Hybrid Coconut Kevlar Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. P. Jani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This project focuses on the conversion of naturally available coconut fibers and shells into a useful composite. In addition to it, some mechanical properties of the resultant composite is determined and also the effect of coconut shell fillers on the composite is also investigated. The few portion of the composite is incorporated with synthetic Kevlar fiber, thus the coconut fiber is hybridized to enhance the mechanical properties of coconut. In this work two types of composite is fabricate, kevelar coconut fibre (kc composite and kevelarcoco nut fibre coconut shell filler (kccsf composite. Coconut fibers have low weight and considerable properties among the natural fibers, while coconut fillers have a good ductile and impact property. The natural fibers and fillers are treated with Na-OH to make it free of organic impurities. Epoxy resin is used as the polymer matrix. Two composite are produced one with fillers and the other without the fillers using compression molding method. Mechanical properties like tensile strength, flexural strength and water absorption tests are done with ASTM standard. It is observed that that the addition of filler materials improves the adhesiveness of the fibers leading to the increase in the above mentioned properties. The density of the composite is also low hence the strength to weight ratio is very high. The water absorption test also showed that the resultant composite had a small adhesion to water and absorption of water.

Design and Analysis of Drive Shaft using Kevlar/Epoxy and Glass/Epoxy as a Composite Material

Science.gov (United States)

Karthikeyan, P.; Gobinath, R.; Kumar, L. Ajith; Jenish, D. Xavier

2017-05-01

In automobile industry drive shaft is one of the most important components to transmit power form the engine to rear wheel through the differential gear. Generally steel drive shaft is used in automobile industry, nowadays they are more interested to replace steel drive shaft with that of composite drive shaft. The overall objective of this paper is to analyze the composite drive shaft using to find out the best replacement for conventional steel drive shaft. The uses of advanced composite materials such as Kevlar, Graphite, Carbon and Glass with proper resins ware resulted in remarkable achievements in automobile industry because of its greater specific strength and specific modulus, improved fatigue and corrosion resistances and reduction in energy requirements due to reduction in weight as compared to steel shaft. This paper is to presents, the modeling and analysis of drive shaft using Kevlar/Epoxy and Glass/Epoxy as a composite material and to find best replacement for conventional steel drive shafts with an Kevlar/epoxy or Glass/Epoxy resin composite drive shaft. Modeling is done using CATIA software and Analysis is carried out by using ANSYS 10.0 software for easy understanding. The composite drive shaft reduces the weight by 81.67 % for Kevlar/Epoxy and 72.66% for Glass/Epoxy when compared with conventional steel drive shaft.

Design, Fabrication and Testing of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Drive Shaft for All Terrain Vehicle using Filament Winding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeshwant Nayak Suhas

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Filament winding is a composite material fabrication technique that is used to manufacture concentric hollow components. In this study Carbon/Epoxy composite drive shafts were fabricated using filament winding process with a fiber orientation of [852/±452/252]s. Carbon in the form of multifilament fibers of Tairyfil TC-33 having 3000 filaments/strand was used as reinforcement with low viscosity epoxy resin as the matrix material. The driveshaft is designed to be used in SAE Baja All Terrain Vehicle (ATV that makes use of a fully floating axle in its rear wheel drive system. The torsional strength of the shaft was tested and compared to that of an OEM steel shaft that was previously used in the ATV. Results show that the composite shaft had 8.5% higher torsional strength in comparison to the OEM steel shaft and was also lighter by 60%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM micrographs were studied to investigate the probable failure mechanism. Delamination, matrix agglomeration, fiber pull-out and matrix cracking were the prominent failure mechanisms identified.

Interfacial adhesion improvement in carbon fiber/carbon nanotube reinforced hybrid composites by the application of a reactive hybrid resin initiated by gamma irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Szebényi, G.; Faragó, D.; Lámfalusi, Cs.; Göbl, R.

2018-04-01

Interfacial adhesion is a key factor in composite materials. The effective co-working of the reinforcing materials and matrix is essential for the proper load transfer between them, and to achieve the desired reinforcing effect. In case of nanocomposites, especially carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced nanocomposites the adhesion between the CNTs and the polymer matrix is poor. To improve the interfacial adhesion and exploit the reinforcing effect of these nanoparticles a two step curable epoxy (EP)/vinylester (VE) hybrid resin system was developed where the EP is cured using hardener in the first step, during the composite production, and in the second step the curing of the VE is initiated by gamma irradiation, which also activates the reinforcing materials and the cured matrix component. A total of six carbon fiber reinforced composite systems were compared with neat epoxy and EP/VE hybrid matrices with and without chemical initiator and MWCNT nano-reinforcement. The effect of gamma irradiation was investigated at four absorbed dose levels. According to our three point bending and interlaminar shear test results the adhesion has improved between all constituents of the composite system. It was demonstrated that gamma irradiation has beneficial effect on the static mechanical, especially interlaminar properties of both micro- and nanocomposites in terms of modulus, strength and interlaminar shear strength.

Improvement of toughness and electrical properties of epoxy composites with carbon nanotubes prepared by industrially relevant processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollertz, R; Chatterjee, S; Geiger, T; Nueesch, F A; Chu, B T T; Gutmann, H

2011-01-01

The addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to polymeric matrices or master batches has the potential to provide composites with novel properties. However, composites with a uniform dispersion of CNTs have proved to be difficult to manufacture, especially at an industrial scale. This paper reports on processing methods that overcome problems related to the control and reproducibility of dispersions. By using a high pressure homogenizer and a three-roll calendaring mill in combination, CNT reinforced epoxies were fabricated by mould casting with a well dispersed nanofiller content from 0.1 to 2 wt%. The influence of the nano-carbon reinforcements on toughness and electrical properties of the CNT/epoxies was studied. A substantial increase of all mechanical properties already appeared at the lowest CNT content of 0.1 wt%, but further raising the nanofiller concentration only led to moderate further changes. The most significant enhancement was obtained for fracture toughness, reaching up to 82%. The low percolation thresholds were confirmed by electrical conductivity measurements on the same composites yielding a threshold value of only about 0.01 wt%. As corroborated by a thorough microscopic analysis of the composites, mechanical and electrical enhancement points to the formation of an interconnected network of agglomerated CNTs.

1D and 2D oxidized carbon nanomaterials on epoxy matrix: performance of composites over the same processing conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos-Galicia, Lourdes; Martinez-Hernandez, Ana Laura; Fuentes-Ramirez, Rosalba; Velasco-Santos, Carlos

2017-11-01

Oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide were evaluated as reinforcements of an epoxy resin. The composites were synthesized at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 wt% under the same processing conditions. Nanocomposites with graphene oxide at 0.5 wt% present the highest mechanical properties, reaching up to ~180%, and ~760% of improvement in tensile strength and tensile toughness with respect to neat epoxy. Nevertheless, composites with oxidized nanotubes exhibit a tendency to improve mechanical properties as load increases. Storage moduli diminish due to cross-linking density reduction in all nanocomposites. Difference in thermal degradation are not observed in composites in comparison with matrix. Dimension play an important role in mechanical properties, because each nanoreinforcement has different performance with the concentration.

Graphite epoxy composite degradation by space radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taheri, M.; Sandquist, G.M.; Slaughter, D.M.; Bennion, J.

1991-01-01

The radiation environment in space is a critical consideration for successful operation in space. All manned space missions with a duration of more than a few days are subjected to elevated ionizing radiation exposures, which are a threat to both personnel and structures in space. The increasing demands for high-performance materials as structural components in the aerospace, aircraft, and defense industries have led to the development of materials such as graphite fiber-reinforced, epoxy resin matrix composites (Gr/Ep). These materials provide important advantages over conventional structural materials, such as ultrahigh specific strength, enhanced specific moduli, and better fatigue resistance. The fact that most advanced composite materials under cyclic fatigue loading evidence little or no observable crack growth prior to rapid fracture suggests that for fail-safe considerations of parts subject to catastrophic failure, a detailed evaluation of radiation damage from very energetic particle is crucial. The Gr/Ep components are believed to suffer severe degradation in space due to highly penetrating secondary radiation, mainly from neutrons and protons. Investigation into the performance and stability of Gr/Ep materials are planned

STUDY THE CREEP OF TUBULAR SHAPED FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najat J. Saleh

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Inpresent work tubular –shaped fiber reinforced composites were manufactured byusing two types of resins ( Epoxy and unsaturated polyester and separatelyreinforced with glass, carbon and kevlar-49 fibers (filament and woven roving,hybrid reinforcement composites of these fibers were also prepared. The fiberswere wet wound on a mandrel using a purposely designed winding machine,developed by modifying an ordinary lathe, in winding angle of 55° for filament. A creep test was made of either the fulltube or specimens taken from it. Creep was found to increase upon reinforcementin accordance to the rule of mixture and mainly decided by the type of singleor hybridized fibers. The creep behavior, showed that the observed strain tendsto appear much faster at higher temperature as compared with that exhibited atroom temperate. The creep rate also found to be depending on fiber type, matrixtype, and the fiber /matrix bonding. The creep energy calculated fromexperimental observations was found to exhibit highest value for hybridizedreinforcement.

Characterization of epoxy hybrid composites filled with cellulose fibers and nano-SiC

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.; Low, I. M.

2012-01-01

Three different approaches have been applied and investigated to enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy resin. Epoxy system reinforced with either recycled cellulose fibers (RCF) or nanosilicon carbide (n-SiC) particles as well

Adhesive properties and adhesive joints strength of graphite/epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Rudawska, Anna; Stančeková, Dana; Cubonova, Nadezda; Vitenko, Tetiana; Müller, Miroslav; Valášek, Petr

2017-05-01

The article presents the results of experimental research of the adhesive joints strength of graphite/epoxy composites and the results of the surface free energy of the composite surfaces. Two types of graphite/epoxy composites with different thickness were tested which are used to aircraft structure. The single-lap adhesive joints of epoxy composites were considered. Adhesive properties were described by surface free energy. Owens-Wendt method was used to determine surface free energy. The epoxy two-component adhesive was used to preparing the adhesive joints. Zwick/Roell 100 strength device were used to determination the shear strength of adhesive joints of epoxy composites. The strength test results showed that the highest value was obtained for adhesive joints of graphite-epoxy composite of smaller material thickness (0.48 mm). Statistical analysis of the results obtained, the study showed statistically significant differences between the values of the strength of the confidence level of 0.95. The statistical analysis of the results also showed that there are no statistical significant differences in average values of surface free energy (0.95 confidence level). It was noted that in each of the results the dispersion component of surface free energy was much greater than polar component of surface free energy.

Incorporation of plasma-functionalized carbon nanostructures in composite laminates for interlaminar reinforcement and delamination crack monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Kravchenko, O. G.; Pedrazzoli, D.; Kovtun, D.; Qian, X.; Manas-Zloczower, I.

2018-01-01

A new approach employing carbon nanostructure (CNS) buckypapers (BP) was used to prepare glass fiber/epoxy composite materials with enhanced resistance to delamination along with damage monitoring capability. The CNS-BP was subjected to plasma treatment to improve its wettability by epoxy and to promote stronger interfacial bonding. An increase up to 20% in interlaminar fracture toughness in mode I and mode II was observed in composite laminates incorporating CNS BP. Morphological analysis of the fracture surfaces indicated that failure in the conductive CNS layer provided a more effective energy dissipation mechanism, resulting in interlaminar fracture toughness increase. Moreover, fracture of the conductive CNS layer enabled damage monitoring of the composite by electrical resistance measurements upon delamination. The proposed approach provides multifunctional ply interphases, allowing to couple damage monitoring with interlaminar reinforcement of composite laminates.

Carbon fiber epoxy composites for both strengthening and health monitoring of structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvado, Rita; Lopes, Catarina; Szojda, Leszek; Araújo, Pedro; Gorski, Marcin; Velez, Fernando José; Castro-Gomes, João; Krzywon, Rafal

2015-05-06

This paper presents a study of the electrical and mechanical behavior of several continuous carbon fibers epoxy composites for both strengthening and monitoring of structures. In these composites, the arrangement of fibers was deliberately diversified to test and understand the ability of the composites for self-sensing low strains. Composites with different arrangements of fibers and textile weaves, mainly unidirectional continuous carbon reinforced composites, were tested at the dynamometer. A two-probe method was considered to measure the relative electrical resistance of these composites during loading. The measured relative electrical resistance includes volume and contact electrical resistances. For all tested specimens, it increases with an increase in tensile strain, at low strain values. This is explained by the improved alignment of fibers and resulting reduction of the number of possible contacts between fibers during loading, increasing as a consequence the contact electrical resistance of the composite. Laboratory tests on strengthening of structural elements were also performed, making hand-made composites by the "wet process", which is commonly used in civil engineering for the strengthening of all types of structures in-situ. Results show that the woven epoxy composite, used for strengthening of concrete elements is also able to sense low deformations, below 1%. Moreover, results clearly show that this textile sensor also improves the mechanical work of the strengthened structural elements, increasing their bearing capacity. Finally, the set of obtained results supports the concept of a textile fabric capable of both structural upgrade and self-monitoring of structures, especially large structures of difficult access and needing constant, sometimes very expensive, health monitoring.

Epoxy composites based on inexpensive tire waste filler

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmetli, Gulnare; Gungor, Ahmet; Kocaman, Suheyla

2014-05-01

Tire waste (TW) was recycled as raw material for the preparation of DGEBA-type epoxy composite materials. The effects of filler amount and epoxy type on the mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composites with NPEL were generally higher than composites with NPEF. The appropriate mass level for TW in both type composites was found to be 20 wt%. The equilibrium water sorption of NPEL/TW and NPEF/TW composites for 14-day immersion was determined as 0.10 % and 0.21 %, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used for characterization of the composites.

Epoxy composites based on inexpensive tire waste filler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmetli, Gulnare; Gungor, Ahmet; Kocaman, Suheyla

2014-01-01

Tire waste (TW) was recycled as raw material for the preparation of DGEBA-type epoxy composite materials. The effects of filler amount and epoxy type on the mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the composites with NPEL were generally higher than composites with NPEF. The appropriate mass level for TW in both type composites was found to be 20 wt%. The equilibrium water sorption of NPEL/TW and NPEF/TW composites for 14-day immersion was determined as 0.10 % and 0.21 %, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used for characterization of the composites

Measurements of print-through in graphite fiber epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Jaworske, Donald A.; Jeunnette, Timothy T.; Anzic, Judith M.

1989-01-01

High-reflectance accurate-contour mirrors are needed for solar dynamic space power systems. Graphite fiber epoxy composites are attractive candidates for such applications owing to their high modulus, near-zero coefficient of thermal expansion, and low mass. However, mirrors prepared from graphite fiber epoxy composite substrates often exhibit print-through, a distortion of the surface, which causes a loss in solar specular reflectance. Efforts to develop mirror substrates without print-through distortion require a means of quantifying print-through. Methods have been developed to quantify the degree of print-through in graphite fiber epoxy composite specimens using surface profilometry.

REINFORCED COMPOSITE PANEL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2003-01-01

A composite panel having front and back faces, the panel comprising facing reinforcement, backing reinforcement and matrix material binding to the facing and backing reinforcements, the facing and backing reinforcements each independently comprising one or more reinforcing sheets, the facing rein...... by matrix material, the facing and backing reinforcements being interconnected to resist out-of-plane relative movement. The reinforced composite panel is useful as a barrier element for shielding structures, equipment and personnel from blast and/or ballistic impact damage....

Plasma Treated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs for Epoxy Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Lian

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Plasma nanocoating of allylamine were deposited on the surfaces of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs to provide desirable functionalities and thus to tailor the surface characteristics of MWCNTs for improved dispersion and interfacial adhesion in epoxy matrices. Plasma nanocoated MWCNTs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM, surface contact angle, and pH change measurements. Mechanical testing results showed that epoxy reinforced with 1.0 wt % plasma coated MWCNTs increased the tensile strength by 54% as compared with the pure epoxy control, while epoxy reinforced with untreated MWCNTs have lower tensile strength than the pure epoxy control. Optical and electron microscopic images show enhanced dispersion of plasma coated MWCNTs in epoxy compared to untreated MWCNTs. Plasma nanocoatings from allylamine on MWCNTs could significantly enhance their dispersion and interfacial adhesion in epoxy matrices. Simulation results based on the shear-lag model derived from micromechanics also confirmed that plasma nanocoating on MWCNTs significantly improved the epoxy/fillers interface bonding and as a result the increased composite strength.

A strategy for prediction of the elastic properties of epoxy-cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced fiber networks

Science.gov (United States)

Johnathan E. Goodsell; Robert J. Moon; Alionso Huizar; R. Byron Pipes

2014-01-01

The reinforcement potential of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) additions on an idealized 2-dirmensional (2-D) fiber network structure consisting of micron sized fiber elements was investigated. The reinforcement mechanism considered in this study was through the stiffening of the micron sized fiber elements via a CNC-epoxy coating. A hierarchical analytical modeling...

Lead oxide-decorated graphene oxide/epoxy composite towards X-Ray radiation shielding

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, Seyyed Alireza; Mousavi, Seyyed Mojtaba; Faghihi, Reza; Arjmand, Mohammad; Sina, Sedigheh; Amani, Ali Mohammad

2018-05-01

In this study, employing modified Hummers method coupled with a multi-stage manufacturing procedure, graphene oxide (GO) decorated with Pb3O4 (GO-Pb3O4) at different weight ratios was synthesized. Thereupon, via the vacuum shock technique, composites holding GO-Pb3O4 at different filler loadings (5 and 10 wt%) and thicknesses (4 and 6 mm) were fabricated. Successful decoration of GO with Pb3O4 was confirmed via FTIR analysis. Moreover, particle size distribution of the produced fillers was examined using particle size analyzer. X-ray attenuation examination revealed that reinforcement of epoxy-based composites with GO-Pb3O4 led to a significant improvement in the overall attenuation rate of X-ray beam. For instance, composites containing 10 wt% GO-Pb3O4 with 6 mm thickness showed 4.06, 4.83 and 3.91 mm equivalent aluminum thickness at 40, 60 and 80 kVp energies, denoting 124.3, 124.6 and 103.6% improvement in the X-ray attenuation rate compared to a sample holding neat epoxy resin, respectively. Simulation results revealed that the effect of GO-Pb3O4 loading on the X-ray shielding performance undermined with increase in the voltage of the applied X-ray beam.

Microstructural characterization of PAN based carbon fiber reinforced nylon 6 polymer composites

Science.gov (United States)

Munirathnamma, L. M.; Ningaraju, S.; Kumar, K. V. Aneesh; Ravikumar, H. B.

2018-04-01

Microstructural characterization of nylon 6/polyacrolonitrile based carbon fibers (PAN-CFs) of 10 to 40 wt% has been performed by positron lifetime technique (PLT). The positron lifetime parameters viz., o-Ps lifetime (τ3), o-Ps intensity (I3) and fractional free volume (Fv) of nylon 6/PAN-CF composites are correlated with the mechanical properties viz., Tensile strength and Young's modulus. The Fv show negative deviation with the reinforcement of 10 to 40 wt% of PAN-CF from the linear additivity relation. The negative deviation in nylon 6/PAN-CF composite suggests the induced molecular packing due to the chemical interaction between the polymeric chains of nylon 6 and PAN-CF. This is evident from Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) studies. The FTIR results suggests that observed negative deviation in PALS results of nylon 6/PAN-CF reinforced polymer composites is due to the induced chemical interaction at N-H-O sites. The improved tensile strength (TS) and Young's modulus (YM) in nylon 6/PAN-CF reinforced polymer composites is due to AS4C (surface treated and epoxy coated) PAN-CF has shown highest adhesion level due to better stress transfer between nylon 6 and PAN-CF.

Low Velocity Impact Behavior of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Shishevan, Farzin Azimpour; Akbulut, Hamid; Mohtadi-Bonab, M. A.

2017-06-01

In this research, we studied low velocity impact response of homogenous basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites and then compared the impact key parameters with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) homogenous composites. BFRPs and CFRPs were fabricated by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) method. Fabricated composites included 60% fiber and 40% epoxy matrix. Basalt and carbon fibers used as reinforcement materials were weaved in 2/2 twill textile tip in the structures of BFRP and CFRP composites. We also utilized the energy profile method to determine penetration and perforation threshold energies. The low velocity impact tests were carried out in 30, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 160 J energy magnitudes, and impact response of BFRPs was investigated by related force-deflection, force-time, deflection-time and absorbed energy-time graphics. The related impact key parameters such as maximum contact force, absorbed energy, deflection and duration time were compared with CFRPs for various impact energy levels. As a result, due to the higher toughness of basalt fibers, a better low velocity impact performance of BFRP than that of CFRP was observed. The effects of fabrication parameters, such as curing process, were studied on the low velocity impact behavior of BFRP. The results of tested new fabricated materials show that the change of fabrication process and curing conditions improves the impact behavior of BFRPs up to 13%.

Thermal and mechanical interfacial properties of epoxy composites based on functionalized carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Fanlong; Ma Changjie; Park, Soo-Jin

2011-01-01

Highlights: → CNTs were functionalized by acid and amine treatments. → Epoxy resin/CNT composites were prepared. → T g of the composites increased by about 10 deg. C compared to neat epoxy resins. → Toughness of the composites was significantly improved by the addition of functionalized CNTs. - Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were treated by a mixture of acid and functionalized subsequently by amine treatment to improve interfacial interactions and dispersion of CNTs in epoxy matrix. The thermal stabilities and mechanical interfacial properties of epoxy/CNT composites were investigated using several techniques. The dispersion state of CNTs in the epoxy matrix was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As a result, the glass transition temperature of epoxy/CNT composites increased by about 11 deg. C compared to neat epoxy resins. The mechanical interfacial property of the composites was significantly increased by the addition of amine treated CNTs. The SEM and TEM results showed that the separation and uniform dispersion of CNTs in the epoxy matrix.

The correlation of low-velocity impact resistance of graphite-fiber-reinforced composites with matrix properties

Science.gov (United States)

Bowles, Kenneth J.

1988-01-01

Summarized are basic studies that were conducted to correlate the impact resistance of graphite-fiber-reinforced composites with polymer matrix properties. Three crosslinked epoxy resins and a linear polysulfone were selected as composite matrices. As a group, these resins possess a significantly large range of mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the resins and their respective composites were measured. Neat resin specimens and unidirectional and crossply composite specimens were impact tested with an instrumented dropweight tester. Impact resistances of the specimens were assesseed on the basis of loading capability, energy absorption, and extent of damage.

Mechanical behavior of glass/epoxy composite laminate with varying amount of MWCNTs under different loadings

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, K. K.; Rawat, Prashant

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the mechanical response of three phased (glass/MWCNTs/epoxy) composite laminate under three different loadings. Flexural strength, short beam strength and low-velocity impact (LVI) testing are performed to find an optimum doping percentage value for maximum enhancement in mechanical properties. In this work, MWCNTs were used as secondary reinforcement for three-phased composite plate. MWCNT doping was done in a range of 0–4 wt% of the thermosetting matrix system. Symmetrical design eight layered glass/epoxy laminate with zero bending extension coupling laminate was fabricated using a hybrid method i.e. hand lay-up technique followed by vacuum bagging method. Ranging analysis of MWCNT mixing highlighted the enhancement in flexural, short beam strength and improvement in damage tolerance under LVI loading. While at higher doping wt%, agglomeration of MWCNTs are observed. Results of mechanical testing proposed an optimized doping value for maximum strength and damage resistance of the laminate.

Effect of fabric structure and polymer matrix on flexural strength, interlaminar shear stress, and energy dissipation of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites

Science.gov (United States)

We report the effect of glass fiber structure and the epoxy polymer system on the flexural strength, interlaminar shear stress (ILSS), and energy absorption properties of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. Four different GFRP composites were fabricated from two glass fiber textiles of...

Nanosilica reinforced epoxy floor coating composites: preparation and thermophysical characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mir Mohammad Alavi Nikje

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, flooring grade epoxy/nanoSiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ polymerization method. Nano silica was treated by coupling agent in order to surface treating and introducing of reactive functional groups to achieving adequate bonding between polar inorganic nano particles and epoxy organic polymer. γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (Amino A-100 was used as an effective and commercially available coupling agent and nano silica treated in acetone media. SEM observations of cured samples revealed that the nano silica was completely dispersed into polymer matrix into nanoscale particles. Thermal and physical properties of prepared samples were investigated and data showed improvements in physical and mechanical properties of the flooring samples in comparison with unfilled resin.

Analysis and Tests of Reinforced Carbon-Epoxy/Foam-Core Sandwich Panels with Cutouts

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Donald J.; Rogers, Charles

1996-01-01

The results of a study of a low-cost structurally efficient minimum-gage shear-panel design that can be used in light helicopters are presented. The shear-panel design is based on an integrally stiffened syntactic-foam stabilized-skin with an all-bias-ply tape construction for stabilized-skin concept with an all-bias-ply tape construction for the skins. This sandwich concept is an economical way to increase the panel bending stiffness weight penalty. The panels considered in the study were designed to be buckling resistant up to 100 lbs/in. of shear load and to have an ultimate strength of 300 lbs/in. The panel concept uses unidirectional carbon-epoxy tape on a syntactic adhesive as a stiffener that is co-cured with the skin and is an effective concept for improving panel buckling strength. The panel concept also uses pultruded carbon-epoxy rods embedded in a syntactic adhesive and over-wrapped with a bias-ply carbon-epoxy tape to form a reinforcing beam which is an effective method for redistributing load around rectangular cutout. The buckling strength of the reinforced panels is 83 to 90 percent of the predicted buckling strength based on a linear buckling analysis. The maximum experimental deflection exceeds the maximum deflection predicted by a nonlinear analysis by approximately one panel thickness. The failure strength of the reinforced panels was two and a half to seven times of the buckling strength. This efficient shear-panel design concept exceeds the required ultimate strength requirement of 300 lbs/in by more than 100 percent.

Functionalizing CNTs for Making Epoxy/CNT Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Rajagopal, Ramasubramaniam

2009-01-01

Functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with linear molecular side chains of polyphenylene ether (PPE) has been shown to be effective in solubilizing the CNTs in the solvent components of solutions that are cast to make epoxy/CNT composite films. (In the absence of solubilization, the CNTs tend to clump together instead of becoming dispersed in solution as needed to impart, to the films, the desired CNT properties of electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.) Because the PPE functionalizes the CNTs in a noncovalent manner, the functionalization does not damage the CNTs. The functionalization can also be exploited to improve the interactions between CNTs and epoxy matrices to enhance the properties of the resulting composite films. In addition to the CNTs, solvent, epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and PPE, a properly formulated solution also includes a small amount of polycarbonate, which serves to fill voids that, if allowed to remain, would degrade the performance of the film. To form the film, the solution is drop-cast or spin-cast, then the solvent is allowed to evaporate.

Carbon Fiber Epoxy Composites for Both Strengthening and Health Monitoring of Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Salvado

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study of the electrical and mechanical behavior of several continuous carbon fibers epoxy composites for both strengthening and monitoring of structures. In these composites, the arrangement of fibers was deliberately diversified to test and understand the ability of the composites for self-sensing low strains. Composites with different arrangements of fibers and textile weaves, mainly unidirectional continuous carbon reinforced composites, were tested at the dynamometer. A two-probe method was considered to measure the relative electrical resistance of these composites during loading. The measured relative electrical resistance includes volume and contact electrical resistances. For all tested specimens, it increases with an increase in tensile strain, at low strain values. This is explained by the improved alignment of fibers and resulting reduction of the number of possible contacts between fibers during loading, increasing as a consequence the contact electrical resistance of the composite. Laboratory tests on strengthening of structural elements were also performed, making hand-made composites by the “wet process”, which is commonly used in civil engineering for the strengthening of all types of structures in-situ. Results show that the woven epoxy composite, used for strengthening of concrete elements is also able to sense low deformations, below 1%. Moreover, results clearly show that this textile sensor also improves the mechanical work of the strengthened structural elements, increasing their bearing capacity. Finally, the set of obtained results supports the concept of a textile fabric capable of both structural upgrade and self-monitoring of structures, especially large structures of difficult access and needing constant, sometimes very expensive, health monitoring.

Mechanical properties of weft knitted fabric reinforced composites. Iamimono kyoka fukugo zairyo no rikigakuteki tokusei ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, W.; Inoda, M.; Kotaki, M.; Goto, A.; Fujita, A.; Hamada, H.; Maekawa, Z. (Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto (Japan). Faculty of Textile Science)

1993-09-15

Mechanical properties and failure behavior of weft knitted fabric reinforced composites were studied. Aramid fiber was used as reinforcement (knitting fiber), and epoxy resin as matrix. Different tensions were applied to the weft knitted fabric in a course or wale direction to prepare 5 kinds of fiber reinforced composites with different densities of the knitted fabric, and tensile test pieces were thus provided by cutting each composite in a course or wale direction. As a result, the weft knitted fabric reinforced composite offered a dynamical anisotropy, and the tensile strength of the test pieces was higher in wale direction than course one. Fracture in a course direction occurred at the section with extreme low fiber content, while fracture in a wale direction occurred at a loop interlocking region due to stress concentration. The tensile strength was constant or increased in a course or wale direction by stretching the knitted fabric before molding, respectively. 21 refs., 15 figs., 2 tabs.

Studies on Effective Elastic Properties of CNT/Nano-Clay Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composite

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Arvind Kumar; Kumar, Puneet; Srinivas, J.

2016-02-01

This paper presents a computational approach to predict elastic propertiesof hybrid nanocomposite material prepared by adding nano-clayplatelets to conventional CNT-reinforced epoxy system. In comparison to polymers alone/single-fiber reinforced polymers, if an additional fiber is added to the composite structure, it was found a drastic improvement in resultant properties. In this regard, effective elastic moduli of a hybrid nano composite are determined by using finite element (FE) model with square representative volume element (RVE). Continuum mechanics based homogenization of the nano-filler reinforced composite is considered for evaluating the volumetric average of the stresses and the strains under different periodic boundary conditions.A three phase Halpin-Tsai approach is selected to obtain the analytical result based on micromechanical modeling. The effect of the volume fractions of CNTs and nano-clay platelets on the mechanical behavior is studied. Two different RVEs of nano-clay platelets were used to investigate the influence of nano-filler geometry on composite properties. The combination of high aspect ratio of CNTs and larger surface area of clay platelets contribute to the stiffening effect of the hybrid samples. Results of analysis are validated with Halpin-Tsai empirical formulae.

Synthesis and characterization of polymeric composites reinforced natural fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kartini, Ratni; Darmasetiawan, H.; Karo Karo, Aloma; Sudirman

2002-01-01

Synthesis of composites between the polymeric matrixes i.e. epoxy and polyester with the natural fibers i.e. banana and straw fibers have been done, which combined each other into four kinds of composites i.e. epoxy-banana, epoxy-straw, polyester-banana, and polyester-straw composites. For each kind of composites, the effect of fibers layers addition into the polymeric matrixes on its mechanical and its microstructure, were learned. It is found that, for all composites except for epoxy-straw, this effect made their tensile strength to be decrease. Epoxy -3-layers straw fibers composite has the highest value that is 45.44 MPa while epoxy -3-layers banana fibers composite has 30.47 MPa for its tensile strength. The lowest tensile strength was belong to polyester -3-layers banana fibers composite, and if it was filled with 3-layers of straw fibers that value become increase to reach 22.18 MPa. Unfortunately, the effect of fibers layer addition is also made their hardness become decrease. It was showed from their microstructures that there were weak bonds between fibers and matrixes. Besides that reason, it also known that fibers distribution in matrixes influences both the tensile strength and the hardness of composite

Flexural Strength of Banana Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Composites Produced through Vacuum Infusion and Hand Lay-Up Techniques - A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Rahman

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Natural fiber such as kenaf, sisal, pineapple leaf and banana are growing popular nowadays due to its favor over traditional glass fiber and inorganic material. It is a renewable resources and abundantly available in the market. The composites made of natural fiber are economical, lightweight and environmental friendly. This study works on producing a composite based on the Banana fiber reinforced epoxy resin by using the method of Vacuum Infusion and Hand Lay-up. Banana fiber will be treated with Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH and water solution for 1 hour and then dried in the oven for 24 hours at 100°C. The composite will be produce based on different fiber volume fraction of 20% and 40% as well as different fiber length of 127mm, and 63mm. In Vacuum Infusion process, a mold made of aluminium have been manufactured according to the size of specimens of 127mm x 12.7mm x 3.2mm in dimension will be used in the preparation of specimens. The specimens of different volume fraction and fiber length produced by vacuum infusion and hand lay-up method will be mechanically tested through flexural test. The highest flexural strength is the specimen made by vacuum infusion process with 40% volume fraction and 63mm fiber length, which is 136.27MPa while for the hand lay-up process, the highest flexural strength is 80.71 with 40% volume fraction and 63mm fiber length.

Physical Principles Pertaining to Ultrasonic and Mechanical Properties of Anisotropic Media and Their Application to Nondestructive Evaluation of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Handley, Scott Michael

The central theme of this thesis is to contribute to the physics underlying the mechanical properties of highly anisotropic materials. Our hypothesis is that a fundamental understanding of the physics involved in the interaction of interrogating ultrasonic waves with anisotropic media will provide useful information applicable to quantitative ultrasonic measurement techniques employed for the determination of material properties. Fiber-reinforced plastics represent a class of advanced composite materials that exhibit substantial anisotropy. The desired characteristics of practical fiber -reinforced composites depend on average mechanical properties achieved by placing fibers at specific angles relative to the external surfaces of the finished part. We examine the physics underlying the use of ultrasound as an interrogation probe for determination of ultrasonic and mechanical properties of anisotropic materials such as fiber-reinforced composites. Fundamental constituent parameters, such as elastic stiffness coefficients (c_{rm IJ}), are experimentally determined from ultrasonic time-of-flight measurements. Mechanical moduli (Poisson's ratio, Young's and shear modulus) descriptive of the anisotropic mechanical properties of unidirectional graphite/epoxy composites are obtained from the ultrasonically determined stiffness coefficients. Three-dimensional visualizations of the anisotropic ultrasonic and mechanical properties of unidirectional graphite/epoxy composites are generated. A related goal of the research is to strengthen the connection-between practical ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods and the physics underlying quantitative ultrasonic measurements for the assessment of manufactured fiber-reinforced composites. Production defects such as porosity have proven to be of substantial concern in the manufacturing of composites. We investigate the applicability of ultrasonic interrogation techniques for the detection and characterization of porosity in

Design and fabrication of the PDX poloidal field solenoid utilizing fiberglass reinforced epoxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, K.S.C.

1975-11-01

This paper discusses the basic design of the Poloidal Field Solenoid Coil. It will be mainly concerned with the more unique features of the Solenoid such as the copper coil windings and the design of the epoxy-glass structural support mandrels. The center solenoid coil of the PDX machine consists of five different coil systems (OH No. 8, No. 9; NF No. 11; DF No. 7; EF Solenoid and CF No. 9). Three concentric fiberglass reinforced epoxy cylinders fabricated in-house will act as mandrels to support and to house the coils that will result as an integral unit

A review of strategies for improving the degradation properties of laminated continuous-fiber/epoxy composites with carbon-based nanoreinforcements

KAUST Repository

Lubineau, Gilles

2012-06-01

Continuous-fiber/epoxy-matrix laminated composites are a key structural material for aeronautical and aerospace applications. Introducing nanoscale reinforcements to these materials is a possible way to achieve improved mechanical properties. To date, much work has been done on nano-reinforced polymers. However, few systematic studies concerning the effect of the nanoreinforcements on the mechanical properties on laminated composites were conducted. This paper presents a systematic review of the mechanisms of degradation in laminated structures and considers various nanoreinforcement strategies in the light of well-known mechanisms of degradation and phenomenologies in classical laminated composites. We also discuss various nanoreinforcement strategies in terms of their potential to reduce degradation on every scale. In addition, we review studies conducted on the role that nanoreinforcements play in mechanical properties involved in structural simulation and design. The degradation mechanisms are systematically considered to provide a full picture of each reinforcement strategy. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Repeated self-healing of microvascular carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coope, T S; Trask, R S; Bond, I P; Wass, D F

2014-01-01

A self-healing, high performance, carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite is demonstrated by embedding a Lewis-acid catalytic curing agent within a laminate, manufactured using out of autoclave (OOA) composite manufacturing methods. Two configurations of healing agent delivery, pre-mixed and autonomous mixing, are investigated via injection of a healing agent through bio-inspired microvascular channels exposed on Mode I fractured crack planes. Healing is effected when an epoxy resin-solvent healing agent mixture reaches the boundary of embedded solid-state scandium(III) triflate (Sc(OTf) 3 ) catalyst, located on the crack plane, to initiate the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of epoxides. Tailored self-healing agents confer high healing efficiency values after multiple healing cycles (69–108%) to successfully mitigate against crack propagation within the composite microstructure. (paper)

Micromechanical Modeling of Fiber-Reinforced Composites with Statistically Equivalent Random Fiber Distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenzhi Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Modeling the random fiber distribution of a fiber-reinforced composite is of great importance for studying the progressive failure behavior of the material on the micro scale. In this paper, we develop a new algorithm for generating random representative volume elements (RVEs with statistical equivalent fiber distribution against the actual material microstructure. The realistic statistical data is utilized as inputs of the new method, which is archived through implementation of the probability equations. Extensive statistical analysis is conducted to examine the capability of the proposed method and to compare it with existing methods. It is found that the proposed method presents a good match with experimental results in all aspects including the nearest neighbor distance, nearest neighbor orientation, Ripley’s K function, and the radial distribution function. Finite element analysis is presented to predict the effective elastic properties of a carbon/epoxy composite, to validate the generated random representative volume elements, and to provide insights of the effect of fiber distribution on the elastic properties. The present algorithm is shown to be highly accurate and can be used to generate statistically equivalent RVEs for not only fiber-reinforced composites but also other materials such as foam materials and particle-reinforced composites.

Novel Formulations of Phase Change Materials—Epoxy Composites for Thermal Energy Storage

OpenAIRE

Maria Elena Arce; Miguel Angel Alvarez Feijoo; Andres Suarez Garcia; Claudia C. Luhrs

2018-01-01

This research aimed to evaluate the thermal properties of new formulations of phase change materials (PCMs)-epoxy composites, containing a thickening agent and a thermally conductive phase. The composite specimens produced consisted of composites fabricated using (a) inorganic PCMs (hydrated salts), epoxy resins and aluminum particulates or (b) organic PCM (paraffin), epoxy resins, and copper particles. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the thermal behavior of the sa...

Woven hybrid composites: Tensile and flexural properties of oil palm-woven jute fibres based epoxy composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jawaid, M. [School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Abdul Khalil, H.P.S., E-mail: akhalilhps@gmail.com [School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Abu Bakar, A. [School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang (Malaysia)

2011-06-15

Highlights: {yields} Woven hybrid composites show good tensile and flexural properties. {yields} Hybridization with 20% woven jute gives rise to sufficient modulus to composites. {yields} Layering pattern affect mechanical properties of hybrid composites. {yields} Statistical analysis shows that there is significant difference between composites. - Abstract: In this research, tensile and flexural performance of tri layer oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB)/woven jute (Jw) fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composites subjected to layering pattern has been experimentally investigated. Sandwich composites were fabricated by hand lay-up technique in a mould and cured with 105 deg. C temperatures for 1 h by using hot press. Pure EFB and woven jute composites were also fabricate for comparison purpose. Results showed that tensile and flexural properties of pure EFB composite can be improved by hybridization with woven jute fibre as extreme woven jute fibre mat. It was found that tensile and flexural properties of hybrid composite is higher than that of EFB composite but less than woven jute composite. Statistical analysis of composites done by ANOVA-one way, it showed significant differences between the results obtained. The fracture surface morphology of the tensile samples of the hybrid composites was performed by using scanning electron microscopy.

Woven hybrid composites: Tensile and flexural properties of oil palm-woven jute fibres based epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jawaid, M.; Abdul Khalil, H.P.S.; Abu Bakar, A.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Woven hybrid composites show good tensile and flexural properties. → Hybridization with 20% woven jute gives rise to sufficient modulus to composites. → Layering pattern affect mechanical properties of hybrid composites. → Statistical analysis shows that there is significant difference between composites. - Abstract: In this research, tensile and flexural performance of tri layer oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB)/woven jute (Jw) fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composites subjected to layering pattern has been experimentally investigated. Sandwich composites were fabricated by hand lay-up technique in a mould and cured with 105 deg. C temperatures for 1 h by using hot press. Pure EFB and woven jute composites were also fabricate for comparison purpose. Results showed that tensile and flexural properties of pure EFB composite can be improved by hybridization with woven jute fibre as extreme woven jute fibre mat. It was found that tensile and flexural properties of hybrid composite is higher than that of EFB composite but less than woven jute composite. Statistical analysis of composites done by ANOVA-one way, it showed significant differences between the results obtained. The fracture surface morphology of the tensile samples of the hybrid composites was performed by using scanning electron microscopy.

Characterization of the flexural behavior of a reactive graphitic nanofibers reinforced epoxy using a non-linear damage model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jana, Soumen [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105 (United States); Zhong Weihong [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105 (United States)]. E-mail: Katie.zhong@ndsu.edu; Gan, Yong X. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Albert Nerken School of Engineering, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, 51 Astor Place, New York City, NY 10003 (United States)

2007-02-15

In our previous work, a nano-epoxy was developed based on the preparation of reactive graphitic nanofibers (r-GNFs). The objective of this work is to study the effect of the r-GNFs in an epoxy resin on the mechanical properties of the resulting nano-epoxy composites. Three-point bending tests were carried out for the pure epoxy and nano-epoxy materials with 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 wt% r-GNFs to obtain the flexural behaviors. The nano-epoxy composite containing 0.3 wt% of r-GNFs showed the best flexural properties including highest flexural strength, modules and ductility values among all the tested materials. Non-linear fracture mechanics (NLFM) was applied to analyze the phenomena occurred during the bending tests. A non-linear damage model was used to interpret the flexural stress-strain relationships of the tested materials, which showed agreement with the testing results. The fracture surfaces of the nano-epoxy composites were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the morphological features on the SEM images also reveals that the nano-epoxy composites are tougher than the pure epoxy resin.

Modification of the Interfacial Interaction between Carbon Fiber and Epoxy with Carbon Hybrid Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kejing Yu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The mechanical properties of the hybrid materials and epoxy and carbon fiber (CF composites were improved significantly as compared to the CF composites made from unmodified epoxy. The reasons could be attributed to the strong interfacial interaction between the CF and the epoxy composites for the existence of carbon nanomaterials. The microstructure and dispersion of carbon nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM and optical microscopy (OM. The results showed that the dispersion of the hybrid materials in the polymer was superior to other carbon nanomaterials. The high viscosity and shear stress characterized by a rheometer and the high interfacial friction and damping behavior characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA indicated that the strong interfacial interaction was greatly improved between fibers and epoxy composites. Remarkably, the tensile tests presented that the CF composites with hybrid materials and epoxy composites have a better reinforcing and toughening effect on CF, which further verified the strong interfacial interaction between epoxy and CF for special structural hybrid materials.

Testing temperature on interfacial shear strength measurements of epoxy resins at different mixing ratios

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Helga Nørgaard; Thomason, James L.; Minty, Ross

2015-01-01

The interfacial properties as Interfacial Shear Stress (IFSS) in fibre reinforced polymers are essential for further understanding of the mechanical properties of the composite. In this work a single fibre testing method is used in combination with an epoxy matrix made from Araldite 506 epoxy res...

Predicting the tensile strength of A UD basalt/ epoxy composite used for the confinement of concrete structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ciniņa, I.; Zīle, O.; Andersons, J.

2013-01-01

The principal aim of the present research was to predict the strength of UD basalt fiber/epoxy matrix composites in tension along the reinforcement direction. Tension tests on single basalt fibers were performed to determine the functional form of their strength distribution and to evaluate the parameters of the distribution. Also, microbond tests were carried out to assess the interfacial shear strength of the fibers and polymer matrix. UD composite specimens were produced and tested for the longitudinal tensile strength. The predicted strength of the composite was found to exceed the experimental values by ca. 20%, which can be explained by imperfections in the fiber alignment, impregnation, and adhesion in the composite specimens.

Tensile strength of glass fibres with carbon nanotube–epoxy nanocomposite coating: Effects of CNT morphology and dispersion state

OpenAIRE

Siddiqui, Naveed A.; Li, Erin L.; Sham, Man-Lung; Tang, Ben Zhong; Gao, Shang Lin; Mäder, Edith; Kim, Jang-Kyo

2010-01-01

A study has been made of a concept of 'healing' coatings applied onto the brittle fibre surface to reduce the stress concentrations and thus to improve the reinforcing efficiency in a composite. Coatings made from neat epoxy and carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced epoxy nanocomposite were applied onto the individual glass fibres as well as rovings. It is shown that the 0.3 wt.% CNT–epoxy nanocomposite coating gave rise to a significant increase in tensile strength of the single fibre for all gau...

Development of a novel test-setup for identifying the frictional characteristics of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites at high surface pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Saxena, Prateek; Schinzel, Marie; Andrich, Manuela; Modler, Niels

2016-09-01

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites are extensively used in industrial applications. They are light in weight and have excellent load bearing properties. To understand this material's behaviour when carrying loads at high pressure, a tensile-friction test device was developed that can apply a contact surface pressure between composite and counterpart of 50-300 MPa. A tribological investigation of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites was carried out, in which the influence of the surface morphology was investigated by using grinding and sandblasting techniques. The friction coefficient of the polymer composite was measured at 100 MPa surface pressure against uncoated and Diamond-Like Carbon coated stainless steel counterparts.

Feasibility of externally activated self-repairing concrete with epoxy injection network and Cu-Al-Mn superelastic alloy reinforcing bars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pareek, Sanjay; Shrestha, Kshitij C; Araki, Yoshikazu; Suzuki, Yusuke; Omori, Toshihiro; Kainuma, Ryosuke

2014-01-01

This paper studies the effectiveness of an externally activated self-repairing technique for concrete members with epoxy injection network and Cu-Al-Mn superelastic alloy (SEA) reinforcing bars (rebars). Compared to existing crack self-repairing and self-healing techniques, the epoxy injection network has the following strengths: (1) Different from the self-repairing methods using brittle containers or tubes for adhesives, the proposed self-repair process can be performed repeatedly and is feasible for onsite concrete casting. (2) Different from the autogenic self-healing techniques, full strength recovery can be achieved in a shorter time period without the necessity of water. This paper attempts to enhance the self-repairing capability of the epoxy injection network by reducing residual cracks by using cost-effective Cu-based SEA bars. The effectiveness of the present technique is examined using concrete beam specimens reinforced by 3 types of bars. The first specimen is reinforced by steel deformed bars, the second by steel threaded bars, and finally by SEA threaded rebars. The tests were performed with a 3 point cyclic loading with increasing amplitude. From the test results, effective self-repairing was confirmed for small deformation levels irrespective of the reinforcement types. Effective self-repairing was observed in the SEA reinforced specimen even under much larger deformations. Nonlinear finite element analysis was performed to confirm the experimental findings. (paper)

Multidimensional Nanocomposites of Epoxy Reinforced with 1D and 2D Carbon Nanostructures for Improve Fracture Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juventino López-Barroso

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A hybrid nanocomposites based on epoxy reinforced with a combination of 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials for improving impact resistance are reported. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes and oxidized-multi-walled carbon nanotubes are used as 1D nanoreinforcements, and graphene derivative materials such as graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide are utilized as 2D nanoreinforcements. In this research, the impact resistance of epoxy matrix reinforced with 1D or 2D and the mixture of both nanomaterials is studied. The research is focused on evaluation of the influence of adding different combinations of nanomaterials into epoxy resin and their Izod impact response. Moreover, fracture surface of nanocomposites is observed by scanning electron microscopy. Images show differences between the surfaces of brittle nature on thermoset epoxy polymer and tough nanocomposites. Synergy created with 1D and 2D nanomaterials produces stable dispersions in the processing, reflected in the interface. The interactions in nanocomposites are evidenced by infrared spectra, principally on the peaks related to oxygenated functional groups present in nanomaterials and absent in polymer matrix. Consequently, an increase of 138% in fracture strength of nanocomposites is exhibited, in comparison to the neat epoxy matrix. In addition, hybrid nanocomposites were synthesized in two different methods to evaluate the influence of manufacturing method on final properties of nanocomposites.

Braided reinforced composite rods for the internal reinforcement of concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Gonilho Pereira, C.; Fangueiro, R.; Jalali, S.; Araujo, M.; Marques, P.

2008-05-01

This paper reports on the development of braided reinforced composite rods as a substitute for the steel reinforcement in concrete. The research work aims at understanding the mechanical behaviour of core-reinforced braided fabrics and braided reinforced composite rods, namely concerning the influence of the braiding angle, the type of core reinforcement fibre, and preloading and postloading conditions. The core-reinforced braided fabrics were made from polyester fibres for producing braided structures, and E-glass, carbon, HT polyethylene, and sisal fibres were used for the core reinforcement. The braided reinforced composite rods were obtained by impregnating the core-reinforced braided fabric with a vinyl ester resin. The preloading of the core-reinforced braided fabrics and the postloading of the braided reinforced composite rods were performed in three and two stages, respectively. The results of tensile tests carried out on different samples of core-reinforced braided fabrics are presented and discussed. The tensile and bending properties of the braided reinforced composite rods have been evaluated, and the results obtained are presented, discussed, and compared with those of conventional materials, such as steel.

An investigation of the compressive strength of Kevlar 49/epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, S. V.; Rosen, B. W.; Rice, J. S.

1975-01-01

Tests were performed to evaluate the effect of a wide range of variables including matrix properties, interface properties, fiber prestressing, secondary reinforcement, and others on the ultimate compressive strength of Kevlar 49/epoxy composites. Scanning electron microscopy is used to assess the resulting failure surfaces. In addition, a theoretical study is conducted to determine the influence of fiber anisotropy and lack of perfect bond between fiber and matrix on the shear mode microbuckling. The experimental evaluation of the effect of various constituent and process characteristics on the behavior of these unidirectional composites in compression did not reveal any substantial increase in strength. However, theoretical evaluations indicate that the high degree of fiber anisotropy results in a significant drop in the predicted stress level for internal instability. Scanning electron microscope data analysis suggests that internal fiber failure and smooth surface debonding could be responsible for the measured low compressive strengths.

Modeling and mechanical performance of carbon nanotube/epoxy resin composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, Vijay Kumar

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The MWCNT fillers are uniformly dispersed in the epoxy resin, which improved the mechanical properties of epoxy resin. ► Modified Halpin–Tsai model is useful to calculate the Young’s modulus of MWCNT/epoxy resin composite. ► The experimental moduli are within the variation of 27% with the theoretical values. -- Abstract: The effect of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) addition on mechanical properties of epoxy resin was investigated to obtain the tensile strength, compressive strength and Young’s modulus from load versus displacement graphs. The result shows that the tensile strength, compressive strength and Young’s modulus of epoxy resin were increased with the addition of MWCNT fillers. The significant improvements in tensile strength, compressive strength and Young’s modulus were obtained due to the excellent dispersion of MWCNT fillers in the epoxy resin. The dispersion of MWCNT fillers in epoxy resin was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Also, Halpin–Tsai model was modified by considering the average diameter of internal/external of multi-walled nanotube and orientation factor (α) to calculate the Young’s modulus of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/epoxy resin composite. There was a good correlation between the experimentally obtained Young’s modulus and modified Halpin–Tsai model.

Determination of mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy plates by tensile stress test

Science.gov (United States)

Bere, Paul; Krolczyk, Jolanta B.

2017-10-01

The polymeric composite materials used in aerospace, military, medical or racing cars manufacturing end up being used in our daily life Whether we refer to the performing vehicles, subassemblies or parts for aircrafts, wind, telegraph poles, or medical prostheses they all are present in our lives and they are made of composite materials (CM). This paper presents research regarding three different composite materials, plates by carbon fiber, in epoxy matrix. Starting with materials presentation, manufacturing methodology and determination of mechanical properties at carbon fiber/epoxy were done. Vacuum bag technology to obtain the composite structure offer opportunity to get a very compact and homogeny composite structure. For the moment this technology are adequate for high performances pieces. The mechanical characteristics of plates made of composite materials reinforced presented indicates closed value like metal materials. Based on the results, a comparative study between the reinforced materials typically used to manufacture the plates of CM is carried out.

Electron beam irradiation in natural fibres reinforced polymers (NFRP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kechaou, B. [LaMaCoP - Faculte des sciences de Sfax, 3018 Sfax (Tunisia); LTDS-UMR 5513 - Ecole Centrale de Lyon, B.P 163 69134 Ecully Cedex (France); Salvia, M. [LTDS-UMR 5513 - Ecole Centrale de Lyon, B.P 163 69134 Ecully Cedex (France); Fakhfakh, Z. [LaMaCoP - Faculte des sciences de Sfax, 3018 Sfax (Tunisia); Juve, D. [LTDS-UMR 5513 - Ecole Centrale de Lyon, B.P 163 69134 Ecully Cedex (France); Boufi, S. [LSME-Faculte des Sciences de Sfax, 3018 Sfax (Tunisia); Kallel, A. [LaMaCoP - Faculte des sciences de Sfax, 3018 Sfax (Tunisia); Treheux, D. [LTDS-UMR 5513 - Ecole Centrale de Lyon, B.P 163 69134 Ecully Cedex (France)], E-mail: daniel.treheux@ec-lyon.fr

2008-11-15

This study focuses on the electric charge motion in unsatured polyester and epoxy composites reinforced by natural fibres of Alfa type, treated by different coupling agents. The electric charging phenomenon is studied by scanning electron microscopy mirror effect (SEMME) coupled with the induced current method (ICM). Previously, using the same approach, glass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE) was studied to correlate mechanical [B. Kchaou, C. Turki, M. Salvia, Z. Fakhfakh, D. Treheux, Composites Science and Technology 64 (2004) 1467], or tribological [B. Kchaou, C. Turki, M. Salvia, Z. Fakhfakh, D. Treheux, Dielectric and friction behaviour of unidirectionalglass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE), Wear, 265 (2008) 763.] properties and dielectric properties. It was shown that the dielectric properties of the fibre-matrix interfaces play a significant role in the optimization of the composite. This result seems to be the same for natural fibre composites: the fibre-matrix interfaces allow a diffusion of the electric charges which can delocalize the polarization energy and consequently delay the damage of the composite. However, a non-suited sizing can lead to a new trapping of electric charges along these same interfaces with, as a consequence, a localization of the polarisation energy. The optimum composite is obtained for one sizing which helps, at the same time, to have a strong fibre-matrix adhesion and an easy flow of the electric charges along the interface.

Wear Behavior of Woven Roving Aramid / Epoxy Composite under Different Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asad A. Khalid

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Wear behavior studies of aramid woven roving /epoxy composite has been conducted. Sliding the material against smooth steel counter face under dry and  lubricated with oil conditions has been investigated. Powder of Silicon carbide has been mixed with the epoxy resin and tested also. The powder was mixed in a volumetric fraction of 10% with the epoxy resin. Four Laminates of six layers were fabricated by hand lay up  method. A pin on disc apparatus has been fabricated to conduct the sliding wear tests on specimens of (4 mm   4 mm   12 mm in size have been cut from the four laminates. The effect of sliding condition including dry, lubricated, dry with additives and lubricated with additives have been studied. Wear rate tests have been conducted at different sliding speeds and loads. Results show that the wear characteristics are influenced by the operating conditions and the construction of the composite material used. It was also found that the wear of aramid /epoxy composite onto the steel counter face were significantly reduced by using lubricant and additives but still took place.Keywords: Wear, Composite materials, Woven roving aramid, Epoxy, Additives, Lubricant.

Thermal properties of oil palm nano filler/kenaf reinforced epoxy hybrid nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Saba, N.; Paridah, M. T.; Abdan, K.; Ibrahim, N. A.

2016-11-01

The aim of this research study was to fabricate nano oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB)/kenaf/epoxy hybrid nanocomposites and to make comparative study on the thermal properties of nano OPEFB/kenaf/epoxy hybrid nanocomposites with the montmorillonite (MMT)/kenaf/epoxy hybrid nanocomposites and organically modified MMT (OMMT)/kenaf/epoxy hybrid nanocomposites. Epoxy based kenaf hybrid nanocomposites was prepared by dispersing the nano filler (nano OPEFB filler, MMT, OMMT) at 3% loading through high speed mechanical stirrer followed by hand lay-up technique. Thermal properties of hybrid nanocomposites were analyzed through thermogravimetry analyzer (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Obtained results specified that addition of nano OPEFB filler improves the thermal stability and char yield of kenaf/epoxy composites. Furthermore, the increase in decomposition temperature by the nano OPEFB filler was quite comparable to the MMT/kenaf/epoxy but relatively less than OMMT/kenaf/epoxy hybrid nanocomposites. We concluded from overall consequences that the nano OPEFB filler can be used as the promising and innovative alternative of existing expensive nano filler, with relatively lesser impact on the environment having marked pronounced impact on the construction, automotive, aerospace, electronics and semiconducting sectors as future industries based on bio-wastes with satisfactory light weight and thermal stability on other side.

Carbon black reinforced C8 ether linked bismaleimide toughened electrically conducting epoxy nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandhakini, M.; Chandramohan, A.; Jayanthi, K.; Alagar, M.

2014-01-01

Highlight: • The toughness of the epoxy is improved with C8e-BMI. • Conduction through ohmic contact chain takes the leading mechanism for electrical conduction instead of tunneling with 5 wt% CB. • The phase segregation between epoxy/C8 e-BMI improves the toughness of the nanocomposite. • Both toughening and flexibilization effect is responsible for improvement in impact strength. • The largest challenge of appropriate balance between the electrical conductivity and mechanical behavior is attained in a cost effective manner. - Abstract: The present work deals with the toughening of brittle epoxy matrix with C8 ether linked bismaleimide (C8 e-BMI) and then study the reinforcing effect of carbon black (CB) in enhancing the conducting properties of insulating epoxy matrix. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman analysis indicate the formation of strong covalent bonds between CB and C8 e-BMI/epoxy matrix. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) analysis indicate the event of phase separation in 5 wt% CB loaded epoxy C8 e-BMI nanocomposites. The impact strength increased up to 5 wt% of CB loading with particle pull and crack deflection to be driving mechanism for enhancing the toughness of the nanocomposite and beyond 5 wt% the impact strength started to decrease due to aggregation of CB. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) also indicates the toughness of the nanocomposites was improved with 5 wt% of CB loading due to the phase segregation between epoxy and C8 e-BMI in the presence of CB. The electrical conductivity was also increased with 5 wt% of CB due to classical conduction by ohmic chain contact

Effect of High Energy Radiation on Mechanical Properties of Graphite Fiber Reinforced Composites. M.S. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Naranong, N.

1980-01-01

The flexural strength and average modulus of graphite fiber reinforced composites were tested before and after exposure to 0.5 Mev electron radiation and 1.33 Mev gamma radiation by using a three point bending test (ASTM D-790). The irradiation was conducted on vacuum treated samples. Graphite fiber/epoxy (T300/5208), graphite fiber/polyimide (C6000/PMR 15) and graphite fiber/polysulfone (C6000/P1700) composites after being irradiated with 0.5 Mev electron radiation in vacuum up to 5000 Mrad, show increases in stress and modulus of approximately 12% compared with the controls. Graphite fiber/epoxy (T300/5208 and AS/3501-6), after being irradiated with 1.33 Mev gamma radiation up to 360 Mrads, show increases in stress and modulus of approximately 6% at 167 Mrad compared with the controls. Results suggest that the graphite fiber composites studied should withstand the high energy radiation in a space environment for a considerable time, e.g., over 30 years.

Ionic Liquid Epoxy Composite Cryotanks, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The objective of this work is to determine the optimal process for manufacturing lightweight linerless cryogenic storage tanks using ionic liquid epoxy composite...

Effect of electron beam irradiation on thermal and mechanical properties of aluminum based epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Visakh, P. M.; Nazarenko, O. B.; Sarath Chandran, C.; Melnikova, T. V.; Nazarenko, S. Yu.; Kim, J.-C.

2017-07-01

The epoxy resins are widely used in nuclear and aerospace industries. The certain properties of epoxy resins as well as the resistance to radiation can be improved by the incorporation of different fillers. This study examines the effect of electron beam irradiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy composites filled with aluminum nanoparticles at percentage of 0.35 wt%. The epoxy composites were exposed to the irradiation doses of 30, 100 and 300 kGy using electron beam generated by the linear electron accelerator ELU-4. The effects of the doses on thermal and mechanical properties of the aluminum based epoxy composites were investigated by the methods of thermal gravimetric analysis, tensile test, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The results revealed that the studied epoxy composites showed good radiation resistance. The thermal and mechanical properties of the aluminum based epoxy composites increased with increasing the irradiation dose up to 100 kGy and decreased with further increasing the dose.

The effect of strain-rate on the tensile and compressive behavior of graphene reinforced epoxy/nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shadlou, Shahin; Ahmadi-Moghadam, Babak; Taheri, Farid

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The epoxy/graphene nanocomposites were studied at various strain rates. • The variations in constitutive stress–strain response were scrutinized. • Positive reinforcing attributes of graphene diminished at higher strain rates. • Graphene particles have higher efficiency under compression loading than tension. • A new modification factor for Halpin–Tsai model was proposed. - Abstract: The effect of strain rate on the mechanical behavior of epoxy reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) is investigated. Nanocomposites containing various amounts of GNP are prepared and tested at four different strain rates (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10/s) under compressive and tensile loading regimes. The results show that incorporation of GNP highly affects the behavior of epoxy. The fracture surfaces of tensile specimens are also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to discern the surface features and dispersion state of GNP. Finally, the predictive capability of some of the available models for evaluating the strength of nanocomposites are assessed and compared against the experimental results. Moreover, a modification factor to the widely used Halpin–Tsai model is proposed to improve the accuracy of the model when evaluating the Young’s modulus of nanocomposites at various strain rates

Thermal expansion of epoxy-fiberglass composite specimens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McElroy, D.L.; Weaver, F.J.; Bridgman, C.

1986-01-01

The thermal expansion behavior of three epoxy-fiberglass composite specimens was measured from 20 to 120 0 C (70 to 250 0 F) using a fused quartz push-rod dilatometer. Billets produced by vacuum impregnating layers of two types of fiberglass cloth with an epoxy resin were core-drilled to produce cylindrical specimens. These were used to study expansion perpendicular and parallel to the fiberglass layers. The dilatometer is held at a preselected temperature until steady-state is indicated by stable length and temperature data. Before testing the composite specimens, a reliability check of the dilatometer was performed using a copper secondary standard. This indicated thermal expansion coefficient (α) values within +-2% of expected values from 20 to 200 0 C

Preparation and Electrochemical Properties of Graphene/Epoxy Resin Composite Coating

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Zijun; Zhang, Tianchi; Qiao, Sen; Zhang, Luyihang

2017-11-01

The multilayer graphene powder as filler, epoxy modified silicone resin as film-forming agent, anticorrosion composite coating has been created using sand dispersion method, the electrochemical performance was compared with different content of graphene composite coating and pure epoxy resin coating. The open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization curves (Tafel Plot) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were tested. The test results showed that the anti-corrosion performance of multilayer graphene added has improved greatly, and the content of the 5% best corrosion performance of graphene composite coating.

Interfacial fracture of dentin adhesively bonded to quartz-fiber reinforced composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melo, Renata M.; Rahbar, Nima; Soboyejo, Wole

2011-01-01

The paper presents the results of an experimental study of interfacial failure in a multilayered structure consisting of a dentin/resin cement/quartz-fiber reinforced composite (FRC). Slices of dentin close to the pulp chamber were sandwiched by two half-circle discs made of a quartz-fiber reinforced composite, bonded with bonding agent (All-bond 2, BISCO, Schaumburg) and resin cement (Duo-link, BISCO, Schaumburg) to make Brazil-nut sandwich specimens for interfacial toughness testing. Interfacial fracture toughness (strain energy release rate, G) was measured as a function of mode mixity by changing loading angles from 0 deg. to 15 deg. The interfacial fracture surfaces were then examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) to determine the failure modes when loading angles changed. A computational model was also developed to calculate the driving forces, stress intensity factors and mode mixities. Interfacial toughness increased from ∼ 1.5 to 3.2 J/m 2 when the loading angle increases from ∼ 0 to 15 deg. The hybridized dentin/cement interface appeared to be tougher than the resin cement/quartz-fiber reinforced epoxy. The Brazil-nut sandwich specimen was a suitable method to investigate the mechanical integrity of dentin/cement/FRC interfaces.

Self Healing Fibre-reinforced Polymer Composites: an Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Ian P.; Trask, Richard S.; Williams, Hugo R.; Williams, Gareth J.

Lightweight, high-strength, high-stiffness fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials are leading contenders as component materials to improve the efficiency and sustainability of many forms of transport. For example, their widespread use is critical to the success of advanced engineering applications, such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380. Such materials typically comprise complex architectures of fine fibrous reinforcement e.g. carbon or glass, dispersed within a bulk polymer matrix, e.g. epoxy. This can provide exceptionally strong, stiff, and lightweight materials which are inherently anisotropic, as the fibres are usually arranged at a multitude of predetermined angles within discrete stacked 2D layers. The direction orthogonal to the 2D layers is usually without reinforcement to avoid compromising in-plane performance, which results in a vulnerability to damage in the polymer matrix caused by out-of-plane loading, i.e. impact. Their inability to plastically deform leaves only energy absorption via damage creation. This damage often manifests itself internally within the material as intra-ply matrix cracks and inter-ply delaminations, and can thus be difficult to detect visually. Since relatively minor damage can lead to a significant reduction in strength, stiffness and stability, there has been some reticence by designers for their use in safety critical applications, and the adoption of a `no growth' approach (i.e. damage propagation from a defect constitutes failure) is now the mindset of the composites industry. This has led to excessively heavy components, shackling of innovative design, and a need for frequent inspection during service (Richardson 1996; Abrate 1998).

Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Flax-Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Laminates for Industrial Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Pitarresi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The present work describes the experimental mechanical characterisation of a natural flax fibre reinforced epoxy polymer composite. A commercial plain woven quasi-unidirectional flax fabric with spun-twisted yarns is employed in particular, as well as unidirectional composite panels manufactured with three techniques: hand-lay-up, vacuum bagging and resin infusion. The stiffness and strength behaviours are investigated under both monotonic and low-cycle fatigue loadings. The analysed material has, in particular, shown a typical bilinear behaviour under pure traction, with a knee yield point occurring at a rather low stress value, after which the material tensile stiffness is significantly reduced. In the present work, such a mechanism is investigated by a phenomenological approach, performing periodical loading/unloading cycles, and repeating tensile tests on previously “yielded” samples to assess the evolution of stiffness behaviour. Infrared thermography is also employed to measure the temperature of specimens during monotonic and cyclic loading. In the first case, the thermal signal is monitored to correlate departures from the thermoelastic behaviour with the onset of energy loss mechanisms. In the case of cyclic loading, the thermoelastic signal and the second harmonic component are both determined in order to investigate the extent of elastic behaviour of the material.

Dynamic mechanical analysis and crystalline analysis of hemp fiber reinforced cellulose filled epoxy composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palanivel, Anand; Duruvasalu, Rajesh; Iyyanar, Saranraj; Velumayil, Ramesh, E-mail: p.anand@ymail.com [Mechanical Engineering, Vel Tech Dr RR. & Dr. SR University, Avadi, Chennai, Tamilnadu (India); Veerabathiran, Anbumalar [Mechanical Engineering, Velammal College of Engineering & Technology, Madurai, TN (India)

2017-07-01

The Dynamic mechanical behavior of chemically treated and untreated hemp fiber reinforced composites was investigated. The morphology of the composites was studied to understand the interaction between the filler and polymer. A series of dynamic mechanical tests were performed by varying the fiber loading and test frequencies over a range of testing temperatures. It was found that the storage modulus (E') recorded above the glass transition temperature (Tg) decrease with increasing temperature. The loss modulus (E”) and damping peaks (Tan δ) values were found to be reduced with increasing matrix loading and temperature. Morphological changes and crystallinity of Composites were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD techniques. The composites with Alkali and Benzoyl treated fibers has attributed enhanced DMA Results. In case of XRD studies, the composites with treated fibers with higher filler content show enhanced crystallinity. (author)

Dynamic mechanical analysis and crystalline analysis of hemp fiber reinforced cellulose filled epoxy composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anand Palanivel

Full Text Available Abstract The Dynamic mechanical behavior of chemically treated and untreated hemp fiber reinforced composites was investigated. The morphology of the composites was studied to understand the interaction between the filler and polymer. A series of dynamic mechanical tests were performed by varying the fiber loading and test frequencies over a range of testing temperatures. It was found that the storage modulus (E’ recorded above the glass transition temperature (Tg decrease with increasing temperature. The loss modulus (E” and damping peaks (Tan δ values were found to be reduced with increasing matrix loading and temperature. Morphological changes and crystallinity of Composites were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM and XRD techniques. The composites with Alkali and Benzoyl treated fibers has attributed enhanced DMA Results. In case of XRD studies, the composites with treated fibers with higher filler content show enhanced crystallinity.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Composites Containing Zirconia-Impregnated Halloysite Nanotubes with Different Loadings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Suhyun; Kim, Moon Il; Shon, Minyoung; Seo, Bongkuk; Lim, Choongsun

2018-09-01

Epoxy resins are widely used in various industrial fields due to their low cost, good workability, heat resistance, and good mechanical strength. However, they suffer from brittleness, an issue that must be addressed for further applications. To solve this problem, additional fillers are needed to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the resins; zirconia is one such filler. However, it has been reported that aggregation may occur in the epoxy composites as the amount of zirconia increases, preventing enhancement of the mechanical strength of the epoxy composites. Herein, to reduce the aggregation, zirconia was well dispersed on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), which have high thermal and mechanical strength, by a conventional wet impregnation method. The HNTs were impregnated with zirconia at different loadings using zirconyl chloride octahydrate as a precursor. The mechanical and thermal strengths of the epoxy composites with these fillers were investigated. The zirconia-impregnated HNTs (Zr/HNT) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tunneling electron microscopy (TEM). The hardening conditions of the epoxy composites were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal strength of the epoxy composites was studied by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and micro-calorimetry and the mechanical strength of the epoxy composites (flexural strength and tensile strength) was studied by using a universal testing machine (UTM). The mechanical and thermal strengths of the epoxy composites with Zr/HNT were improved compared to those of the epoxy composite with HNT, and also increased as the zirconia loading on HNT increased.

Exploring biomass based carbon black as filler in epoxy composites: Flexural and thermal properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul Khalil, H.P.S.; Firoozian, P.; Bakare, I.O.; Akil, Hazizan Md.; Noor, Ahmad Md.

2010-01-01

Carbon blacks (CB), derived from bamboo stem (BS-CB), coconut shells (CNS-CB) and oil palm empty fiber bunch (EFB-CB), were obtained by pyrolysis of fibers at 700 o C, characterized and used as filler in epoxy composites. The results obtained showed that the prepared carbon black possessed well-developed porosities and are predominantly made up of micropores. The BS-CB, CNS-CB and EFB-CB filled composites were prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The SEM showed that the fractured surface of the composite indicates its high resistance to fracture. The CBs-epoxy composites exhibited better flexural properties than the neat epoxy, which was attributed to better adhesion between the CBs and the epoxy resin. TGA showed that there was improvement in thermal stability of the carbon black filled composites compared to the neat epoxy resin.

A study of thermal diffusivity of carbon-epoxy and glass-epoxy composites using the modified pulse method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terpiłowski Janusz

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Transient heat transfer is studied and compared in two planeparallel composite walls and one EPIDIAN 53 epoxy resin wall acting as a matrix for both composites. The first of the two walls is made of carbonepoxy composite; the other wall is made of glass-epoxy composite, both with comparable thickness of about 1 mm and the same number of carbon and glass fabric layers (four layers. The study was conducted for temperatures in the range of 20-120 °C. The results of the study of thermal diffusivity which characterizes the material as a heat conductor under transient conditions have a preliminary character. Three series of tests were conducted for each wall. Each series took about 24 h. The results from the three series were approximated using linear functions and were found between (0.7-1.35×10−7m2/s. In the whole range of temperature variation, the thermal diffusivity values for carbon-epoxy composite are from 1.2 to 1.5 times higher than those for the other two materials with nearly the same thermal diffusivity characteristics.

Impact Damage In Carbon/Epoxy And Carbon/PEEK Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Nettles, A. T.; Magold, N. J.

1991-01-01

Report describes results of drop-weight impact testing of specimens of carbon-fiber/epoxy and carbon-fiber/polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite materials. Panels made of these materials assembled into lightweight, strong, stiff structures useful in automobiles, aircraft, sporting goods, and many other products. PEEK specimens showed less delamination than epoxy specimens at given impact energy.

Novel Formulations of Phase Change Materials—Epoxy Composites for Thermal Energy Storage

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Maria Elena Arce

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to evaluate the thermal properties of new formulations of phase change materials (PCMs-epoxy composites, containing a thickening agent and a thermally conductive phase. The composite specimens produced consisted of composites fabricated using (a inorganic PCMs (hydrated salts, epoxy resins and aluminum particulates or (b organic PCM (paraffin, epoxy resins, and copper particles. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC was used to analyze the thermal behavior of the samples, while hardness measurements were used to determine changes in mechanical properties at diverse PCM and conductive phase loading values. The results indicate that the epoxy matrix can act as a container for the PCM phase without hindering the heat-absorbing behavior of the PCMs employed. Organic PCMs presented reversible phase transformations over multiple cycles, an advantage that was lacking in their inorganic counterparts. The enthalpy of the organic PCM-epoxy specimens increased linearly with the PCM content in the matrix. The use of thickening agents prevented phase segregation issues and allowed the fabrication of specimens containing up to 40% PCM, a loading significantly higher than others reported. The conductive phase seemed to improve the heat transfer and the mechanical properties of the composites when present in low percentages (<10 wt %; however, given its mass, the enthalpy detected in the composites was reduced as their loading further increased. The conductive phase combination (PCM + epoxy resin + hardener + thickening agent presents great potential as a heat-absorbing material at the temperatures employed.

Nonlinear DC Conduction Behavior in Graphene Nanoplatelets/Epoxy Resin Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yang; Wang, Qingguo; Qu, Zhaoming

2018-01-01

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)/Epoxy resin (ER) with a low percolation threshold were fabricated. Then the nonlinear DC conduction behavior of GNPs/ER composites was investigated, which indicates that dispersion, exfoliation level and conductivity of GNPs in specimens are closely related to the conduction of composites. Moreover, it could be seen that the modified graphene nanoplatelets made in this paper could be successfully used for increasing the electric conductivity of the epoxy resin, and the GNPs/ER composites with nonlinear conduction behavior have a good application prospects in the field of intelligent electromagnetic protection.

Ultrasonic Characterisation of Epoxy Resin/Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET Char Powder Composites

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Imran ORAL

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study is carried out in order to determine the elastic properties of the Epoxy Resin (ER / Polyethylene terephthalate (PET Char Powder Composites by ultrasonic wave velocity measurement method. Plastic waste was recycled as raw material for the preparation of epoxy composite materials. The supplied chars were mixed with epoxy resin matrix at weight percentages of 10 %, 20 % and 30 % for preparing ER/PET Char Powder (PCP composites. The effect of PET char powder on the elastic properties of ER/PCP composites were investigated by ultrasonic pulse-echo method. According to the obtained results, the composition ratio of 80:20 is the most appropriate composition ratio, which gave the highest elastic constants values for ER/PCP composites. On the other hand, the best electrical conductivity value was obtained for 70:30 composition ratio. It was observed that ultrasonic shear wave velocity correlated more perfectly than any other parameters with hardness.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.4.12190

Utilization of ilmenite/epoxy composite for neutrons and gamma rays attenuation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Sayed Abdo, A. E-mail: attiaabdo11@hotmail.com; El-Sarraf, M.A.; Gaber, F.A

2003-01-01

This work deals with the study of ilmenite/epoxy composite as an injecting mortar for cracks developed in biological concrete shields, as well as, neutrons and gamma rays attenuation. Effects of the particle size on the mechanical strengths have been studied for epoxy resin filled with crushed ilmenite with different maximum particle sizes ranging from 32 to 500 {mu}m. Thermal neutrons and gamma rays attenuation in ilmenite/epoxy composites with 75 and 80 wt.% of ilmenite concentration have been investigated. The total mass attenuation coefficients {mu}/{rho} (cm{sup 2} g{sup -1}) of gamma ray for five ilmenite/epoxy composites have been calculated using the XCOM program (version 3.1) at energies from 10 keV to 100 MeV. Also, the total mass attenuation coefficients ({mu}/{rho}) have estimated based on the measured total linear attenuation coefficients ({mu}) and compared with the calculated results where, a reasonable agreement was found.

Piezoelectric and mechanical properties of structured PZT-epoxy composites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

James, N.K.; Ende, D.A. van den; Lafont, U.; Zwaag, S. van der; Groen, W.A.

2013-01-01

Structured lead zirconium titanate (PZT)-epoxy composites are prepared by dielectrophoresis. The piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composites as a function of PZT volume fraction are investigated and compared with the corresponding unstructured composites. The effect of poling voltage

Piezoelectric and mechanical properties of structured PZT–epoxy composites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kunnamkuzhakkal James, N.; Van den Ende, D.; Lafont, U.; Van der Zwaag, S.; Groen, W.A.

2013-01-01

Structured lead zirconium titanate (PZT)–epoxy composites are prepared by dielectrophoresis. The piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composites as a function of PZT volume fraction are investigated and compared with the corresponding unstructured composites. The effect of poling voltage

Novel Formulations of Phase Change Materials—Epoxy Composites for Thermal Energy Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez Feijoo, Miguel Angel

2018-01-01

This research aimed to evaluate the thermal properties of new formulations of phase change materials (PCMs)-epoxy composites, containing a thickening agent and a thermally conductive phase. The composite specimens produced consisted of composites fabricated using (a) inorganic PCMs (hydrated salts), epoxy resins and aluminum particulates or (b) organic PCM (paraffin), epoxy resins, and copper particles. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the thermal behavior of the samples, while hardness measurements were used to determine changes in mechanical properties at diverse PCM and conductive phase loading values. The results indicate that the epoxy matrix can act as a container for the PCM phase without hindering the heat-absorbing behavior of the PCMs employed. Organic PCMs presented reversible phase transformations over multiple cycles, an advantage that was lacking in their inorganic counterparts. The enthalpy of the organic PCM-epoxy specimens increased linearly with the PCM content in the matrix. The use of thickening agents prevented phase segregation issues and allowed the fabrication of specimens containing up to 40% PCM, a loading significantly higher than others reported. The conductive phase seemed to improve the heat transfer and the mechanical properties of the composites when present in low percentages (phase combination (PCM + epoxy resin + hardener + thickening agent) presents great potential as a heat-absorbing material at the temperatures employed. PMID:29373538

Silica Treatments: A Fire Retardant Strategy for Hemp Fabric/Epoxy Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Branda

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, for the first time, inexpensive waterglass solutions are exploited as a new, simple and ecofriendly chemical approach for promoting the formation of a silica-based coating on hemp fabrics, able to act as a thermal shield and to protect the latter from heat sources. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR and solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR analysis confirm the formation of –C–O–Si– covalent bonds between the coating and the cellulosic substrate. The proposed waterglass treatment, which is resistant to washing, seems to be very effective for improving the fire behavior of hemp fabric/epoxy composites, also in combination with ammonium polyphosphate. In particular, the exploitation of hemp surface treatment and Ammonium Polyphosphate (APP addition to epoxy favors a remarkable decrease of the Heat Release Rate (HRR, Total Heat Release (THR, Total Smoke Release (TSR and Specific Extinction Area (SEA (respectively by 83%, 35%, 45% and 44% as compared to untreated hemp/epoxy composites, favoring the formation of a very stable char, as also assessed by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA. Because of the low interfacial adhesion between the fabrics and the epoxy matrix, the obtained composites show low strength and stiffness; however, the energy absorbed by the material is higher when using treated hemp. The presence of APP in the epoxy matrix does not affect the mechanical behavior of the composites.

Hansen solubility parameters for a carbon fiber/epoxy composite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Launay, Helene; Hansen, Charles M.; Almdal, Kristoffer

2007-01-01

In this study, the physical affinity between an epoxy matrix and oxidized, unsized carbon fibers has been evaluated using Hansen solubility (cohesion) parameters (HSP). A strong physical compatibility has been shown, since their respective HSP are close. The use of a glassy carbon substrate...... as a model for unsized carbon fiber has been demonstrated as appropriate for the study of interactions between the materials in composite carbon fiber-epoxy systems. The HSP of glassy carbon are similar to those of carbon fibers and epoxy matrix. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

Deformation Characteristics of Composite Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theddeus T. AKANO

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The composites provide design flexibility because many of them can be moulded into complex shapes. The carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composites exhibit excellent fatigue tolerance and high specific strength and stiffness which have led to numerous advanced applications ranging from the military and civil aircraft structures to the consumer products. However, the modelling of the beams undergoing the arbitrarily large displacements and rotations, but small strains, is a common problem in the application of these engineering composite systems. This paper presents a nonlinear finite element model which is able to estimate the deformations of the fibre-reinforced epoxy composite beams. The governing equations are based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (EBBT with a von Kármán type of kinematic nonlinearity. The anisotropic elasticity is employed for the material model of the composite material. Moreover, the characterization of the mechanical properties of the composite material is achieved through a tensile test, while a simple laboratory experiment is used to validate the model. The results reveal that the composite fibre orientation, the type of applied load and boundary condition, affect the deformation characteristics of the composite structures. The nonlinearity is an important factor that should be taken into consideration in the analysis of the fibre-reinforced epoxy composites.

Composites of Graphene Nanoribbon Stacks and Epoxy for Joule Heating and Deicing of Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Raji, Abdul-Rahman O; Varadhachary, Tanvi; Nan, Kewang; Wang, Tuo; Lin, Jian; Ji, Yongsung; Genorio, Bostjan; Zhu, Yu; Kittrell, Carter; Tour, James M

2016-02-10

A conductive composite of graphene nanoribbon (GNR) stacks and epoxy is fabricated. The epoxy is filled with the GNR stacks, which serve as a conductive additive. The GNR stacks are on average 30 nm thick, 250 nm wide, and 30 μm long. The GNR-filled epoxy composite exhibits a conductivity >100 S/m at 5 wt % GNR content. This permits application of the GNR-epoxy composite for deicing of surfaces through Joule (voltage-induced) heating generated by the voltage across the composite. A power density of 0.5 W/cm(2) was delivered to remove ∼1 cm-thick (14 g) monolith of ice from a static helicopter rotor blade surface in a -20 °C environment.

Study on mechanical properties and damage behaviors of Kevlar fiber reinforced epoxy composites by digital image correlation technique under optical microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xiang; Shao, Wenquan; Ji, Hongwei

2010-10-01

Kevlar fiber-reinforced epoxy (KFRE) composites are widely used in the fields of aerospace, weapon, shipping, and civil industry, due to their outstanding capabilities. In this paper, mechanical properties and damage behaviors of KFRE laminate (02/902) were tested and studied under tension condition. To precisely measure the tensile mechanical properties of the material and investigate its micro-scale damage evolution, a micro-image measuring system with in-situ tensile device was designed. The measuring system, by which the in-situ tensile test can be carried out and surface morphology evolution of the tensile specimen can be visually monitored and recorded during the process of loading, includes an ultra-long working distance zoom microscope and a in-situ tensile loading device. In this study, a digital image correlation method (DICM) was used to calculate the deformation of the tensile specimen under different load levels according to the temporal series images captured by an optical microscope and CCD camera. Then, the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of the KFRE was obtained accordingly. The damage progresses of the KFRE laminates were analyzed. Experimental results indicated that: (1) the KFRE laminate (02/902) is almost elastic, its failure mode is brittle tensile fracture.(2) Mechanical properties parameters of the material are as follows: elastic modulus is 14- 16GPa, and tensile ultimate stress is 450-480 Mpa respectively. (3) The damage evolution of the material is that cracks appear in epoxy matrix firstly, then, with the increasing of the tensile loading, matrix cracks add up and extend along a 45° angle direction with tensile load. Furthermore, decohesion between matrix and fibers as well as delamination occurs. Eventually, fibers break and the material is damaged.

Magnetic epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with hierarchical α-Fe2O3 nanoflowers: a study of mechanical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Balguri, Praveen Kumar; Harris Samuel, D. G.; Thumu, Udayabhaskararao

2017-09-01

In this work, we presented the potentiality of monodispersed 3D hierarchical α-Fe2O3 nanoflowers (α-Fe2O3) as reinforcement for epoxy polymer. α-Fe2O3 are synthesized through the thermal decomposition of iron alkoxide precursor in ethylene glycol. α-Fe2O3/epoxy nanocomposites (0.1 wt% of α-Fe2O3) show 109%, 59%, 13%, and 15% enhancement in impact (un-notched), impact (notched), flexural and tensile properties, respectively. The uniformly embedded α- Fe2O3 nanoflowers in epoxy polymer not only provide mechanical strength but also induced magnetic nature to the nanocomposite as observed from the Scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer.

Delamination in surface plies of graphite/epoxy caused by the edge trimming process

Science.gov (United States)

Colligan, K.; Ramulu, M.

Delamination in surface plies of graphite/epoxy laminates caused by edge trimming using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and carbide cutters is investigated. The effect of several machining variables on formation of delaminations in the surface plies of a graphite fiber reinforced composite material is presented. Machining tests were performed to assess the impact of cutter geometry, feedrate, rotation direction, and graphite fiber orientation. Three typical delamination modes were observed and documented. Feedrate was found to have a significant effect on surface ply delamination in graphite/epoxy composite materials.

Improvement of Thermal and Electrical Conductivity of Epoxy/boron Nitride/silver Nanoparticle Composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seungyong; Lim, Soonho [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

In this study, we investigated the effect of BN (boron nitride) on the thermal and the electrical conductivity of composites. In case of epoxy/BN composites, the thermal conductivity was increased as the BN contents were increased. Epoxy/AgNP (Ag nanoparticle) nanocomposites exhibited a slight change of thermal conductivity and showed a electrical percolation threshold at 20 vol% of Ag nanoparticles. At the fixed Ag nanoparticle content below the electrical percolation threshold, increasing the amount of BN enhanced the electrical conductivity as well as thermal conductivity for the epoxy/AgNP/BN composites.

Effect of thermally reduced graphene oxide on dynamic mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composite

Science.gov (United States)

Adak, Nitai Chandra; Chhetri, Suman; Murmu, Naresh Chandra; Samanta, Pranab; Kuila, Tapas

2018-03-01

The Carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy composites are being used in the automotive and aerospace industries owing to their high specific mechanical strength to weight ratio compared to the other conventional metal and alloys. However, the low interfacial adhesion between fiber and polymer matrix results the inter-laminar fracture of the composites. Effects of different carbonaceous nanomaterials i.e., carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene nanosheets (GNPs), graphene oxide (GO) etc. on the static mechanical properties of the composites were investigated in detail. Only a few works focused on the improvement of the dynamic mechanical of the CF/epoxy composites. Herein, the effect of thermally reduced grapheme oxide (TRGO) on the dynamic mechanical properties of the CF/epoxy composites was investigated. At first, GO was synthesized using modified Hummers method and then reduced the synthesized GO inside a vacuum oven at 800 °C for 5 min. The prepared TRGO was dispersed in the epoxy resin to modify the epoxy matrix. Then, a number of TRGO/CF/epoxy laminates were manufactured incorporating different wt% of TRGO by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technique. The developed laminates were cured at room temperature for 24 h and then post cured at 120 °C for 2 h. The dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA 8000 Perkin Elmer) was used to examine the dynamic mechanical properties of the TRGO/CF/epoxy composites according to ASTM D7028. The dimension of the specimen was 44×10×2.4 mm3 for the DMA test. This test was carried out under flexural loading mode (duel cantilever) at a frequency of 1 Hz and amplitude of 50 μm. The temperature was ramped from 30 to 200 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C min-1. The dynamic mechanical analysis of the 0.2 wt% TRGO incorporated CF/epoxy composites showed ~ 96% enhancement in storage modulus and ~ 12 °C increments in glass transition temperature (Tg) compared to the base CF/epoxy composites. The fiber-matrix interaction was studied by Cole

Morphological and electrical properties of epoxy-based composites reinforced with exfoliated graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamberti, Patrizia; Spinelli, Giovanni, E-mail: gspinelli@unisa.it; Tucci, Vincenzo [Department of Information and Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano (Italy); Guadagno, Liberata; Raimondo, Marialuigia; Vertuccio, Luigi [Department of Industrial Engineering University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano (Italy)

2016-05-18

An experimental study has been carried out to prepare and characterize epoxy/amine-based composites filled with different percentages of partially exfoliated graphite (i.e. pEG) particles having an exfoliation degree of 56% in order to analyze the effect of the filler amounts on the electrical properties of the resulting nanocomposites. Moreover, in order to fully investigate the direct relationship between the physical properties of the employed filler and the results of the electrical characterization, a structural and morphological characterization of the pEG samples is carried out by means of various type of analysis such as X-ray diffraction patterns, micro-Raman and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images. The DC electrical characterization reveals a percolation thresholds (EPT) that falls in the range [2–3] wt% and an electrical conductivity of about 0.66 S/m at the highest filler loading (6.5 wt%). From the analysis of the percolative curve it is possible to derive the percolation law parameters and in particular the critical exponent t, whose value (i.e. 1.2) reflects an effective 2D organization of the percolating structure consistent with the type of filler used (2-dimensional). Finally, an extensive analysis concerning the electrical properties in the frequency domain has been carried out in order to evaluate the effectiveness of pEG-loaded composites in terms of electromagnetic interference compatibility (EMC) and their applicability as radar absorbers materials (RAMs).

Tribo-mechanical behaviour of SiC filled glass-epoxy composites at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

While glass fibers enhance the toughness of the matrix, silicon carbide shows high hardness, thermal stability and low chemical reactivity, leading to superior friction properties. In this work an attempt was made to evaluate the mechanical properties and tribological behaviour of glass fabric reinforced- epoxy (G-E) ...

Hydrothermal ageing of glass/epoxy composites for wind turbine blades

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rocha, I.B.C.M.; Raijmaekers, S.; Nijssen, R.P.L.; Van der Meer, F.P.

2015-01-01

In this work, a glass/epoxy material system commonly applied in wind turbine design was used to evaluate damage processes brought by water ingression during service life. Composite short-beams and neat epoxy beams and dog-bones were conditioned by water immersion at 50º until saturation and tested

Novel Formulations of Phase Change Materials-Epoxy Composites for Thermal Energy Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Arce, Maria Elena; Alvarez Feijoo, Miguel Angel; Suarez Garcia, Andres; Luhrs, Claudia C

2018-01-26

This research aimed to evaluate the thermal properties of new formulations of phase change materials (PCMs)-epoxy composites, containing a thickening agent and a thermally conductive phase. The composite specimens produced consisted of composites fabricated using (a) inorganic PCMs (hydrated salts), epoxy resins and aluminum particulates or (b) organic PCM (paraffin), epoxy resins, and copper particles. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the thermal behavior of the samples, while hardness measurements were used to determine changes in mechanical properties at diverse PCM and conductive phase loading values. The results indicate that the epoxy matrix can act as a container for the PCM phase without hindering the heat-absorbing behavior of the PCMs employed. Organic PCMs presented reversible phase transformations over multiple cycles, an advantage that was lacking in their inorganic counterparts. The enthalpy of the organic PCM-epoxy specimens increased linearly with the PCM content in the matrix. The use of thickening agents prevented phase segregation issues and allowed the fabrication of specimens containing up to 40% PCM, a loading significantly higher than others reported. The conductive phase seemed to improve the heat transfer and the mechanical properties of the composites when present in low percentages (material at the temperatures employed.

Parametric Study of Strain Rate Effects on Nanoparticle-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Soltannia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Crashworthiness, energy absorption capacity, and safety are important factors in the design of lightweight vehicles made of fiber-reinforced polymer composite (FRP components. The relatively recent emergence of the nanotechnology industry has presented a novel means to augment the mechanical properties of various materials. As a result, recent attempts have contemplated the use of nanoparticles to further improve the resiliency of resins, especially when resins are used for mating FRP components. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the response of nanoreinforced polymer composites, subjected to various rates of loading, is of paramount importance for developing reliable structures. In this paper, the effects of nanoreinforcement on the mechanical response of a commonly used epoxy resin subjected to four different strain rates, are systematically investigated. The results are then compared to those of the neat resin. To characterize the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite, a combination of the strain rate-dependent mechanical (SRDM model of Goldberg and his coworkers and Halpin-Tsai’s micromechanical approach is employed. Subsequently, a parametric study is conducted to ascertain the influences of particle type and their weight percentage. Finally, the numerical results are compared to the experimental data obtained from testing of the neat and the nanoreinforced epoxy resin.

Influence of the curing cycles on the fatigue performance of unidirectional glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hüther, Jonas; Brøndsted, Povl

2016-01-01

During the manufacturing process of fiber reinforced polymers the curing reaction of the resin results in shrinkage of the resin and introduces internal stresses in the composites. When curing at higher temperatures in order to shorten up the processing time, higher curing stresses and thermal...... to different levels of internal stresses. The mechanical properties, static strength and fatigue life time, are measured in three different directions of the material, i.e. the fiber direction, 0°, the 30° off axis direction, and the 90° direction transverse to the fiber direction. It is experimentally...... demonstrated that the resulting residual stresses barely influences the quasi-static mechanical properties of reinforced glass-fiber composites. It is found that the fatigue performance in the 0° direction is significantly influenced by the internal stresses, whereas the fatigue performance in the off axes...

Mechanical properties of epoxy composites with plasma-modified rice-husk-derived nanosilica

Science.gov (United States)

Hubilla, Fatima Athena D.; Panghulan, Glenson R.; Pechardo, Jason; Vasquez, Magdaleno R., Jr.

2018-01-01

In this study, we explored the use of rice-husk-derived nanosilica (nSiO2) as fillers in epoxy resins. The nSiO2 was irradiated with a capacitively coupled 13.56 MHz radio frequency (RF) plasma using an admixture of argon (Ar) and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or 1,7-octadiene (OD) monomers. The plasma-polymerized nSiO2 was loaded at various concentrations (1-5%) into the epoxy matrix. Surface hydrophobicity of the plasma-treated nSiO2-filled composites increased, which is attributed to the attachment of functional groups from the monomer gases on the silica surface. Microhardness increased by at least 10% upon the inclusion of plasma-modified nSiO2 compared with pristine nSiO2-epoxy composites. Likewise, hardness increased with increasing loading volume, with the HMDSO-treated silica composite recording the highest increase. Elastic moduli of the composites also showed an increase of at least 14% compared with untreated nSiO2-filled composites. This work demonstrated the use of rice husk, an agricultural waste, as a nSiO2 source for epoxy resin fillers.

Enhanced microwave shielding and mechanical properties of high loading MWCNT–epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, B. P.; Prasanta; Choudhary, Veena; Saini, Parveen; Pande, Shailaja; Singh, V. N.; Mathur, R. B.

2013-01-01

Dispersion of high loading of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in epoxy resin is a challenging task for the development of efficient and thin electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Up to 20 wt% of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) loading in the composite was achieved by forming CNT prepreg in the epoxy resin as a first step. These prepreg laminates were then compression molded to form composites which resulted in EMI shielding effectiveness of −19 dB for 0.35 mm thick film and −60 dB at for 1.75 mm thick composites in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz). One of the reasons for such high shielding is attributed to the high electrical conductivity of the order of 9 S cm −1 achieved in these composites which is at least an order of magnitude higher than previously reported results at this loading. In addition, an improvement of 40 % in the tensile strength over the neat resin value is observed. Thermal conductivity of the MWCNTs–epoxy composite reached 2.18 W/mK as compared to only 0.14 W/mK for cured epoxy.

Enhanced microwave shielding and mechanical properties of high loading MWCNT-epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, B. P.; Prasanta; Choudhary, Veena; Saini, Parveen; Pande, Shailaja; Singh, V. N.; Mathur, R. B.

2013-04-01

Dispersion of high loading of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in epoxy resin is a challenging task for the development of efficient and thin electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Up to 20 wt% of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) loading in the composite was achieved by forming CNT prepreg in the epoxy resin as a first step. These prepreg laminates were then compression molded to form composites which resulted in EMI shielding effectiveness of -19 dB for 0.35 mm thick film and -60 dB at for 1.75 mm thick composites in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz). One of the reasons for such high shielding is attributed to the high electrical conductivity of the order of 9 S cm-1 achieved in these composites which is at least an order of magnitude higher than previously reported results at this loading. In addition, an improvement of 40 % in the tensile strength over the neat resin value is observed. Thermal conductivity of the MWCNTs-epoxy composite reached 2.18 W/mK as compared to only 0.14 W/mK for cured epoxy.

Fracture Analysis of MWCNT/Epoxy Nanocomposite Film Deposited on Aluminum Substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Her, Shiuh-Chuan; Chien, Pao-Chu

2017-04-13

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced epoxy films were deposited on an aluminum substrate by a hot-pressing process. Three-point bending tests were performed to determine the Young's modulus of MWCNT reinforced nanocomposite films. Compared to the neat epoxy film, nanocomposite film with 1 wt % of MWCNT exhibits an increase of 21% in the Young's modulus. Four-point-bending tests were conducted to investigate the fracture toughness of the MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposite film deposited on an aluminum substrate with interfacial cracks. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, the strain energy in a film/substrate composite beam is derived. The difference of strain energy before and after the propagation of the interfacial crack are calculated, leading to the determination of the strain energy release rate. Experimental test results show that the fracture toughness of the nanocomposite film deposited on the aluminum substrate increases with the increase in the MWCNT content.

An experimental study on moisture absorption for jute-epoxy composite with coatings exposed to different pH media

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Radhika Londhe

2016-09-01

The purpose of this work is to study the moisture absorption and mechanical properties of jute-epoxy composites. Jute fibres are treated with NaOH before manufacturing of composite laminate in order to improve adhesion with epoxy material. Further jute-epoxy composite specimens were coated with epoxy resin and acrylic paint. Composite specimens with and without coatings are subjected to absorption in solutions of different pH media, for 28 days (666 h. The effect of coatings on reduction in moisture absorption for jute-epoxy composite is presented in this current work.

Mechanical Properties of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Hybrid Composites: Multiscale Modeling and Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Hadden, C. M.; Klimek-McDonald, D. R.; Pineda, E. J.; King, J. A.; Reichanadter, A. M.; Miskioglu, I.; Gowtham, S.; Odegard, G. M.

2015-01-01

Because of the relatively high specific mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composite materials, they are often used as structural components in aerospace applications. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) can be added to the epoxy matrix to improve the overall mechanical properties of the composite. The resulting GNP/carbon fiber/epoxy hybrid composites have been studied using multiscale modeling to determine the influence of GNP volume fraction, epoxy crosslink density, and GNP dispersion on the mechanical performance. The hierarchical multiscale modeling approach developed herein includes Molecular Dynamics (MD) and micromechanical modeling, and it is validated with experimental testing of the same hybrid composite material system. The results indicate that the multiscale modeling approach is accurate and provides physical insight into the composite mechanical behavior. Also, the results quantify the substantial impact of GNP volume fraction and dispersion on the transverse mechanical properties of the hybrid composite, while the effect on the axial properties is shown to be insignificant.

Mechanical Properties of Graphene Nanoplatelet Carbon Fiber Epoxy Hybrid Composites: Multiscale Modeling and Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Hadden, Cameron M.; Klimek-McDonald, Danielle R.; Pineda, Evan J.; King, Julie A.; Reichanadter, Alex M.; Miskioglu, Ibrahim; Gowtham, S.; Odegard, Gregory M.

2015-01-01

Because of the relatively high specific mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composite materials, they are often used as structural components in aerospace applications. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) can be added to the epoxy matrix to improve the overall mechanical properties of the composite. The resulting GNP/carbon fiber/epoxy hybrid composites have been studied using multiscale modeling to determine the influence of GNP volume fraction, epoxy crosslink density, and GNP dispersion on the mechanical performance. The hierarchical multiscale modeling approach developed herein includes Molecular Dynamics (MD) and micromechanical modeling, and it is validated with experimental testing of the same hybrid composite material system. The results indicate that the multiscale modeling approach is accurate and provides physical insight into the composite mechanical behavior. Also, the results quantify the substantial impact of GNP volume fraction and dispersion on the transverse mechanical properties of the hybrid composite, while the effect on the axial properties is shown to be insignificant.

Microstructural, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of recycled cellulose fiber-halloysite-epoxy hybrid nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.

2012-02-26

Epoxy hybrid-nanocomposites reinforced with recycled cellulose fibers (RCF) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have been fabricated and investigated. The dispersion of HNTs was studied by synchrotron radiation diffraction (SRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The influences of RCF/HNTs dispersion on the mechanical properties and thermal properties of these composites have been characterized in terms of flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, impact toughness, impact strength, and thermogravimetric analysis. The fracture surface morphology and toughness mechanisms were investigated by SEM. Results indicated that mechanical properties increased because of the addition of HNTs into the epoxy matrix. Flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, and impact toughness increased by 20.8, 72.8, 56.5, and 25.0%, respectively, at 1 wt% HNTs load. The presence of RCF dramatically enhanced flexural strength, fracture toughness, impact strength, and impact toughness of the composites by 160%, 350%, 444%, and 263%, respectively. However, adding HNTs to RCF/epoxy showed only slight enhancements in flexural strength and fracture toughness. The inclusion of 5 wt% HNTs into RCF/epoxy ecocomposites increased the impact toughness by 27.6%. The presence of either HNTs or RCF accelerated the thermal degradation of neat epoxy. However, at high temperature, samples reinforced with RCF and HNTs displayed better thermal stability with increased char residue than neat resin. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Long-Term Durability of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (BFRP Sheets and the Epoxy Resin Matrix under a Wet–Dry Cyclic Condition in a Chloride-Containing Environment

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Zhongyu Lu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP composites are receiving increasing attention as they represent a low-cost green source of raw materials. FRP composites have to face harsh environments, such as chloride ions in coastal marine environments or cold regions with salt deicing. The resistance of FRPs subjected to the above environments is critical for the safe design and application of BFRP composites. In the present paper, the long-term durability of BFRP sheets and the epoxy resin matrix in a wet–dry cyclic environment containing chloride ions was studied. The specimens of the BFRP sheet and epoxy resin matrix were exposed to alternative conditions of 8-h immersion in 3.5% NaCl solution at 40 °C and 16-h drying at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity (RH. The specimens were removed from the exposure chamber at the end of the 180th, 270th and 360th cycles of exposure and were analyzed for degradation with tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and void volume fractions. It was found that the tensile modulus of the BFRP sheet increased by 3.4%, and the tensile strength and ultimate strain decreased by 45% and 65%, respectively, after the 360th cycle of exposure. For the epoxy resin matrix, the tensile strength, tensile modulus and ultimate strain decreased by 27.8%, 3.2% and 64.8% after the 360th cycle of exposure, respectively. The results indicated that the degradation of the BFRP sheet was dominated by the damage of the interface between the basalt fiber and epoxy resin matrix. In addition, salt precipitate accelerated the fiber–matrix interfacial debonding, and hydrolysis of the epoxy resin matrix resulted in many voids, which accelerated the degradation of the BFRP sheet.

Self-Sensing of Single Carbon Fiber/Carbon Nanotube-Epoxy Composites Using Electro-Micromechanical Techniques and Acoustic Emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Joung Man; Jang, Jung Hoon; Wang, Zuo Jia; Kwon, Dong Jun; Park, Jong Kyu; Lee, Woo Il

2010-01-01

Self-sensing on micro-failure, dispersion degree and relating properties, of carbon nanotube(CNT)/epoxy composites, were investigated using wettability, electro-micromechanical technique with acoustic emission(AE). Specimens were prepared from neat epoxy as well as composites with untreated and acid-treated CNT. Degree of dispersion was evaluated comparatively by measuring volumetric electrical resistivity and its standard deviation. Apparent modulus containing the stress transfer was higher for acid-treated CNT composite than for the untreated case. Applied cyclic loading responded well for a single carbon fiber/CNT-epoxy composite by the change in contact resistivity. The interfacial shear strength between a single carbon fiber and CNT-epoxy, determined in a fiber pullout test, was lower than that between a single carbon fiber and neat epoxy. Regarding on micro-damage sensing using electrical resistivity measurement with AE, the stepwise increment in electrical resistivity was observed for a single carbon fiber/CNT-epoxy composite. On the other hand, electrical resistivity increased infinitely right after the first carbon fiber breaks for a single carbon fiber/neat epoxy composite. The occurrence of AE events of added CNT composites was much higher than the neat epoxy case, due to microfailure at the interfaces by added CNTs

Nano-Reinforcement of Interfaces in Prepreg-Based Composites Using a Carbon Nanotubes Spraying Method

KAUST Repository

Almuhammadi, Khaled

2012-11-01

Multi-scale reinforcement of composite materials is a topic a great interest owing to the several advantages provided, e.g. increased stiffness, improved aging resistance, and fracture toughness. It is well known, that the fracture toughness of epoxy resins used as matrix materials for CFRP composites can be increased by the addition of nano-sized fillers such as Carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNTs are particularly well suited for this purpose because of their nano-scale diameter and high aspect ratio which allow enhancing the contact area and adhesion to the epoxy matrix. On the other hand, CNTs can also be used to improve the interlaminar strength of composite, which is the resistance offered to delamination. Several fabrication techniques have been devised to this purpose, such as powder dispersion [51-53], spraying [54], roll coating [2] and electrospinning [55, 56]. The aim of this work is to extend the knowledge in this field. In particular, MWCNTs were dispersed throughout the interface of a carbon fiber composite laminate ([0o]16) through spraying and the resulting fracture toughness was investigated in detail. To this purpose, Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens were fabricated by placing 0.5 wt.% CNTs at the interface of mid-plane plies and the fracture toughness was determined using the ASTM standard procedures. For comparison, baseline samples were prepared using neat prepregs. In order to corroborate the variation of fracture toughness to the modifications of interfacial damage mechanisms, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of the failed surfaces was also undertaken. The results of this work have shown that functionalized MWCNTs can enhance the interlaminar fracture toughness; indeed, compared to the neat case, an average increase around 17% was observed. The SEM analysis revealed that the improved fracture toughness was related to the ability of the Nano-reinforcement to spread the damage through crack bridging, i.e. CNTs pull-out and peeling.

On the role of CFRP reinforcement for wood beams stiffness

Science.gov (United States)

Ianasi, A. C.

2015-11-01

In recent years, carbon fiber composites have been increasingly used in different ways in reinforcing structural elements. Specifically, the use of composite materials as a reinforcement for wood beams under bending loads requires paying attention to several aspects of the problem such as the number of the composite layers applied on the wood beams. Study consolidation of composites revealed that they are made by bonding fibrous material impregnated with resin on the surface of various elements, to restore or increase the load carrying capacity (bending, cutting, compression or torque) without significant damage of their rigidity. Fibers used in building applications can be fiberglass, aramid or carbon. Items that can be strengthened are concrete, brick, wood, steel and stone, and in terms of structural beams, walls, columns and floors. This paper describes an experimental study which was designed to evaluate the effect of composite material on the stiffness of the wood beams. It proposes a summary of the fundamental principles of analysis of composite materials and the design and use. The type of reinforcement used on the beams is the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheet and plates and also an epoxy resin for bonding all the elements. Structural epoxy resins remain the primary choice of adhesive to form the bond to fiber-reinforced plastics and are the generally accepted adhesives in bonded CFRP-wood connections. The advantages of using epoxy resin in comparison to common wood-laminating adhesives are their gap-filling qualities and the low clamping pressures that are required to form the bond between carbon fiber plates or sheets and the wood beams. Mechanical tests performed on the reinforced wood beams showed that CFRP materials may produce flexural displacement and lifting increases of the beams. Observations of the experimental load-displacement relationships showed that bending strength increased for wood beams reinforced with CFRP composite plates

Adhesion of pineapple-leaf fiber to epoxy matrix: The role of surface treatments

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Yusran Payae

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Natural fibers are considered to have potential use as reinforcing agents in polymer composite materials because of their principle benefits: moderate strength and stiffness, low cost, and be an environmental friendly, degradable, and renewablematerial. Due to their inherently hydrophilic nature, they are prone to absorb moisture, which can plasticise or weaken theadhesion of fibers to the surrounding matrix and by this affect the performance of composites used in atmospheric humidity,particularly at elevated temperatures. The surface treatments are often applied to the fiber to improve the bond strengthbetween the fibers and matrix. This work discussed the effect of sodium hydroxide (NaOH treatment and epoxy resin as acompatibilizing agent on interface properties of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF-epoxy composites. A single-fiber fragmentationtest coupled with data reduction technique was employed to assess interface quality in terms of apparent interfacial shearstrength (IFSS or a of untreated, NaOH, and epoxy resin treated PALFs-epoxy composites. Tensile properties of untreatedand treated PALFs were also examined. It was found that both treatments substantially increase a, corresponding to animproved level of adhesion. The improvement in the level of adhesion for the alkali and epoxy treated fiber composites wasdue to an increase in the physical bonding between the alkali treated fibers and the matrix, and due to a promoted compatibilitybetween the epoxy treated fibers and matrix, respectively.

Processing, properties and applications of composites using powder-coated epoxy towpreg technology

Science.gov (United States)

Bayha, T. D.; Osborne, P. P.; Thrasher, T. P.; Hartness, J. T.; Johnston, N. J.; Marchello, J. M.; Hugh, M. K.

1993-01-01

Composite manufacturing using the current prepregging technology of impregnating liquid resin into three-dimensionally reinforced textile preforms can be a costly and difficult operation. Alternatively, using polymer in the solid form, grinding it into a powder, and then depositing it onto a carbon fiber tow prior to making a textile preform is a viable method for the production of complex textile shapes. The powder-coated towpreg yarn is stable, needs no refrigeration, contains no solvents and is easy to process into various woven and braided preforms for later consolidation into composite structures. NASA's Advanced Composites Technology (ACT) program has provided an avenue for developing the technology by which advanced resins and their powder-coated preforms may be used in aircraft structures. Two-dimensional braiding and weaving studies using powder-coated towpreg have been conducted to determine the effect of resin content, towpreg size and twist on textile composite properties. Studies have been made to customize the towpreg to reduce friction and bulk factor. Processing parameters have been determined for three epoxy resin systems on eight-harness satin fabric, and on more advanced 3-D preform architectures for the downselected resin system. Processing effects and the resultant mechanical properties of these textile composites will be presented and compared.

Thermal contraction effects in epoxy resin composites at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, D.; Morgan, J.T.

1979-10-01

Because of their electrical and thermal insulation characteristics, high strength fibreglass/epoxy composites are widely used in the construction of bubble chamber and other cryogenic equipment. Thermal contraction effects on cooling to operating temperature present problems which need to be taken into account at the design stage. This paper gives results of thermal contraction tests carried out on fibreglass/epoxy composites including the somewhat anomalous results obtained with rings and tubes. Also considered are some of the problems associated with the use of these materials at temperatures in the region of 20K. (author)

Tensile Properties of Unsaturated Polyester and Epoxy Resin Reinforced with Recycled Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Plastic

Science.gov (United States)

Okayasu, Mitsuhiro; Kondo, Yuta

2018-06-01

To better understand the mechanical properties of recycled carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (rCFRP), CFRP crushed into small pieces was mixed randomly in different proportions (0-30 wt%) with two different resins: unsaturated polyester and epoxy resin. Two different sizes of crushed CFRP were used: 0.1 mm × 0.007 mm (milled CFRP) and 30 mm × 2 mm (chopped CFRP). The tensile strength of rCFRP was found to depend on both the proportion and the size of the CFRP pieces. It increased with increasing proportion of chopped CFRP, but decreased with increasing proportion of milled CFRP. There was no clear dependence of the tensile strength on the resin that was used. A low fracture strain was found for rCFRP samples made with chopped CFRP, in contrast to those made with milled CFRP. The fracture strain was found to increase with increasing content of milled CFRP up to 20 wt%, at which point, coalescence of existing microvoids occurred. However, there was a reduction in fracture strain for rCFRP with 30 wt% of milled CFRP, owing to the formation of defects (blow holes). Overall, the fracture strain was higher for rCFRPs based on epoxy resin than for those based on unsaturated polyester with the same CFRP content, because of the high ductility of the epoxy resin. The different tensile properties reflected different failure characteristics, with the use of chopped CFRP leading to a complicated rough fracture surface and with milled CFRP causing ductile failure through the presence of tiny dimple-like fractures. However, for a high content of milled CFRP (30 wt%), large blow holes were observed, leading to low ductility.

Improvement of Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Epoxy Resin Using CNTs/ZnO Nanocomposite.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Pham Gia; Truc, Trinh Anh; Chinh, Nguyen Thuy; Tham, Do Quang; Trung, Tran Huu; Oanh, Vu Ke; Hang, To Thi Xuan; Olivier, Marjorie; Hoang, Thai

2018-04-01

In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/ZnO composites had been prepared using the sol-gel method and then incorporated into an epoxy resin for reinforcement of mechanical and electrical properties. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) analyses show that the ZnO nanoparticles deposited on CNTs were crystallized in a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Average particle size of ZnO deposited on the CNT was about 8 nm. The mechanical and dielectric properties of epoxy containing CNTs/ZnO were investigated in comparison to epoxy resin and epoxy resin containing only CNT or ZnO nanoparticles. The results indicated that tensile strength and elongation at break of the nanocomposite were substantially improved with the presence of CNTs/ZnO at the equal volume. The DSC analysis associate with the dielectric results shows that the behavior of epoxy/CNTs/ZnO is identical to epoxy/ZnO composite, and the CNTs is essential to the distributed arrangement of ZnO in the epoxy resin.

Enhancement of mechanical properties of epoxy/graphene nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Berhanuddin, N. I. C.; Zaman, I.; Rozlan, S. A. M.; Karim, M. A. A.; Manshoor, B.; Khalid, A.; Chan, S. W.; Meng, Q.

2017-10-01

Graphene is a novel class of nanofillers possessing outstanding characteristics including most compatible with most polymers, high absolute strength, high aspect ratio and cost effectiveness. In this study, graphene was used to reinforce epoxy as a matrix, to enhance its mechanical properties. Two types of epoxy composite were developed which are epoxy/graphene nanocomposite and epoxy/modified graphene nanocomposite. The fabrication of graphene was going through thermal expansion and sonication process. Chemical modification was only done for modified graphene where 4,4’-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is used. The mechanical properties of both nanocomposite, such as Young’s modulus and maximum stress were investigated. Three weight percentage were used for this study which are 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt% and 1.5 wt%. At 0.5 wt%, modified and unmodified shows the highest value compared to neat epoxy, where the value were 8 GPa, 6 GPa and 0.675 GPa, respectively. For maximum stress, neat epoxy showed the best result compared to both nanocomposite due to the changes of material properties when adding the filler into the matrix. Therefore, both nanocomposite increase the mechanical properties of the epoxy, however modification surface of graphene gives better improvement.

Characterization of the dynamic behaviour of flax fibre reinforced composites using vibration measurements

Science.gov (United States)

El-Hafidi, Ali; Birame Gning, Papa; Piezel, Benoit; Fontaine, Stéphane

2017-10-01

Experimental and numerical methods to identify the linear viscoelastic properties of flax fibre reinforced epoxy (FFRE) composite are presented in this study. The method relies on the evolution of storage modulus and loss factor as observed through the frequency response. Free-free symmetrically guided beams were excited on the dynamic range of 10 Hz to 4 kHz with a swept sine excitation focused around their first modes. A fractional derivative Zener model has been identified to predict the complex moduli. A modified ply constitutive law has been then implemented in a classical laminates theory calculation (CLT) routine.

Preparation and characterization of glass fibers – polymers (epoxy bars (GFRP reinforced concrete for structural applications

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Alkjk Saeed

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents some of the results from a large experimental program undertaken at the Department of Civil Engineering of Damascus University. The project aims to study the ability to reinforce and strengthen the concrete by bars from Epoxy polymer reinforced with glass fibers (GFRP and compared with reinforce concrete by steel bars in terms of mechanical properties. Five diameters of GFRP bars, and steel bars (4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm tested on tensile strength tests. The test shown that GFRP bars need tensile strength more than steel bars. The concrete beams measuring (15cm wide × 15cm deep × and 70cm long reinforced by GFRP with 0.5 vol.% ratio, then the concrete beams reinforced by steel with 0.89 vol.% ratio. The concrete beams tested on deflection test. The test shown that beams which reinforced by GFRP has higher deflection resistance, than beams which reinforced by steel. Which give more advantage to reinforced concrete by GFRP.

Simultaneous acoustic and dielectric real time curing monitoring of epoxy systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gkikas, G.; Saganas, Ch.; Grammatikos, S. A.; Aggelis, D. G.; Paipetis, A. S.

2012-04-01

The attainment of structural integrity of the reinforcing matrix in composite materials is of primary importance for the final properties of the composite structure. The detailed monitoring of the curing process on the other hand is paramount (i) in defining the optimal conditions for the impregnation of the reinforcement by the matrix (ii) in limiting the effects of the exotherm produced by the polymerization reaction which create unwanted thermal stresses and (iii) in securing optimal behavior in matrix controlled properties, such as off axis or shear properties and in general the durability of the composite. Dielectric curing monitoring is a well known technique for distinguishing between the different stages of the polymerization of a typical epoxy system. The technique successfully predicts the gelation and the vitrification of the epoxy and has been extended for the monitoring of prepregs. Recent work has shown that distinct changes in the properties of the propagated sound in the epoxy which undergoes polymerization is as well directly related to the gelation and vitrification of the resin, as well as to the attainment of the final properties of the resin system. In this work, a typical epoxy is simultaneously monitored using acoustic and dielectric methods. The system is isothermally cured in an oven to avoid effects from the polymerization exotherm. Typical broadband sensors are employed for the acoustic monitoring, while flat interdigital sensors are employed for the dielectric scans. All stages of the polymerization process were successfully monitored and the validity of both methods was cross checked and verified.

Elastic representation surfaces of unidirectional graphite/epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kriz, R.D.; Ledbetter, H.M.

1985-01-01

Unidirectional graphite/epoxy composites exhibit high elastic anisotropy and unusual geometrical features in their elastic-property polar diagrams. From the five-component transverse-isotropic elastic-stiffness tensor we compute and display representation surfaces for Young's modulus, torsional modulus, linear compressibility, and Poisson's ratios. Based on Christoffel-equation solutions, we describe some unusual elastic-wave-surface topological features. Musgrave considered in detail the differences between phase-velocity and group-velocity surfaces arising from high elastic anisotropy. For these composites, we find effects similar to, but more dramatic than, Musgrave's. Some new, unexpected results for graphite/epoxy include: a shear-wave velocity that exceeds a longitudinal velocity in the plane transverse to the fiber; a wave that changes polarization character from longitudinal to transverse as the propagation direction sweeps from the fiber axis to the perpendicular axis

Atomistic Modeling of Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Nanotube Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Fasanella, Nicholas A.; Sundararaghavan, Veera

2016-05-01

The Green-Kubo method was used to investigate the thermal conductivity as a function of temperature for epoxy/single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) nanocomposites. An epoxy network of DGEBA-DDS was built using the `dendrimer' growth approach, and conductivity was computed by taking into account long-range Coulombic forces via a k-space approach. Thermal conductivity was calculated in the direction perpendicular to, and along the SWNT axis for functionalized and pristine SWNT/epoxy nanocomposites. Inefficient phonon transport at the ends of nanotubes is an important factor in the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites, and for this reason discontinuous nanotubes were modeled in addition to long nanotubes. The thermal conductivity of the long, pristine SWNT/epoxy system is equivalent to that of an isolated SWNT along its axis, but there was a 27% reduction perpendicular to the nanotube axis. The functionalized, long SWNT/epoxy system had a very large increase in thermal conductivity along the nanotube axis (~700%), as well as the directions perpendicular to the nanotube (64%). The discontinuous nanotubes displayed an increased thermal conductivity along the SWNT axis compared to neat epoxy (103-115% for the pristine SWNT/epoxy, and 91-103% for functionalized SWNT/epoxy system). The functionalized system also showed a 42% improvement perpendicular to the nanotube, while the pristine SWNT/epoxy system had no improvement over epoxy. The thermal conductivity tensor is averaged over all possible orientations to see the effects of randomly orientated nanotubes, and allow for experimental comparison. Excellent agreement is seen for the discontinuous, pristine SWNT/epoxy nanocomposite. These simulations demonstrate there exists a threshold of the SWNT length where the best improvement for a composite system with randomly oriented nanotubes would transition from pristine SWNTs to functionalized SWNTs.

Effect of γ-irradiation on the optical and electrical properties of fiber reinforced composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwar, Ahmad; Elfiky, Dalia; Ramadan, Ahmed M.; Hassan, G.M.

2017-01-01

The effect of gamma irradiation on the optical and electrical properties of the reinforced fiber polymeric based materials became an important issue. Fiberglass/epoxy and Kevlar fiber/epoxy were selected as investigated samples manufactured with hand lay-up without autoclave curing technique. The selected technique is simple and low cost while being rarely used in space materials production. The electric conductivity and dielectric constant for those samples were measured with increasing the gamma radiation dose. Moreover, the absorptivity, band gap and color change were determined. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was performed to each of the material's constituent to evaluate the change in the investigated materials due to radiation exposure dose. In this study, the change of electrical properties for both investigated materials showed a slight variation of the test parameters with respect to the gamma dose increase; this variation is placed in the insulators rang. The tested samples showed an insulator stable behavior during the test period. The change of optical properties for both composite specimens showed the maximum absorptivity at the gamma dose 750 kGy. These materials are suitable for structure materials and thermal control for orbital life less than 7 years. In addition, the transparency of epoxy matrix was degraded. However, there is no color change for either Kevlar fiber or fiberglass. - Highlights: • Space qualification for the reinforced fiber polymeric based materials which will be used for satellite structure. • Change of optical and electrical properties for selected material under the effect of gamma radiation. • Using a simple and low cost manufacturing method for space materials.

Structural and functional characterization of barium zirconium titanate / epoxy composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiberto González Garcia

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The dielectric behavior of composite materials (barium zirconium titanate / epoxy system was analyzed as a function of ceramic concentration. Structure and morphologic behavior of the composites was investigated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM analyses. Composites were prepared by mixing the components and pouring them into suitable moulds. It was demonstrated that the amount of inorganic phase affects the morphology of the presented composites. XRD revealed the presence of a single phase while Raman scattering confirmed structural transitions as a function of ceramic concentration. Changes in the ceramic concentration affected Raman modes and the distribution of particles along into in epoxy matrix. Dielectric permittivity and dielectric losses were influenced by filler concentration.

Flexural creep behavior of epoxy/cotton composite materials before and after saline absorption for orthopedics applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kontaxis, L. C.; Georgali, A.; Portan, D. V.; Papanicolaou, G. C.

2018-02-01

In the present study, epoxy resin-non-woven cotton fibers fabric composite plates were manufactured by using the vacuum infusion technique. Next, flexural creep-recovery experiments were performed in order to study the viscoelastic behavior of both the neat resin and the composite material manufactured under both dry and wet conditions. A low cost, mechanically operated flexural creep testing machine was designed and manufactured according to ASTM standards, for providing an economical means of performing flexural creep experiments. Initially, specimens were immersed in physiological saline for different periods of time at constant temperature of 37°C and subsequently tested under flexural creep conditions in order to study the effect of saline absorption on the creep-recovery behavior of the composites. The specific environmental conditions were chosen such as to simulate the real conditions existed into the human body. The combined effect of applied stress, time of immersion, creep time and amount of saline absorbed on the overall flexural viscoelastic behavior of composites was studied. The maximum amount of saline absorbed by the composites was 3.2%, which is double the saline intake of pure resin. It is believed that the 1.5% extra saline was absorbed into the now formed interphase between the matrix and the hydrophobic cotton fibers. It was observed that the creep strain increases as the immersion time increases. This is believed to occur because of the cumulative effect of absorbed saline from the fibers, the matrix, as well as from the fiber-matrix interphase resulting in the fiber matrix debonding and easier relaxation of the macromolecules at higher moisture contents leading to larger deformations at longer times. However, it should be noted that the strain levels of the epoxy resin/cotton fibers fabric composites, never surpassed those of the pure resin, indicating that the fabric successfully reinforces the composite even under the immersion of the

Enhancement of Dielectric Constant of Graphene-Epoxy Composite by Inclusion of Nanodiamond Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Khurram, A. A.; ul-Haq, Izhar; Khan, Ajmal; Hussain, Rizwan; Gul, I. H.

2018-02-01

The dielectric properties of a graphene-epoxy composite have been enhanced by filling with nanodiamond particles (NDPs) as secondary filler along with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The epoxy composite filled with only NDPs or GNPs to 0.1 wt.%, 0.3 wt.%, and 0.5 wt.% exhibited smaller dielectric constant compared with when filled with both. Hybrid epoxy composites were prepared with inclusion of both fillers to 0.05 + 0.05 = 0.1 wt.%, 0.15 + 0.15 = 0.3 wt.%, and 0.25 + 0.25 = 0.5 wt.%. Inclusion of NDPs in addition to GNPs also improved the dispersion of the latter in solution, which is attributable to kinetic energy transfer to GNPs and screening of van der Waals forces between GNPs. The enhanced dielectric constant after inclusion of NDPs is due to improved dispersion of GNPs in the epoxy matrix, which may increase the interfacial polarization.

Analysis of Particulate and Chemical Residue Resulting from Exposure to Burning and Abrading Composite Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-31

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated a study of reinforcing fiber release from graphite- epoxy composite, graphite- Kevlar ...amplifiers from cut virgin fiber and from fiber produced from burning graphite- epoxy composite were in close agreement.[2] Composite aircraft accidents...containing carbon/ epoxy composite crashed in Denmark in 1991. The recovery team suffered eye and skin irritation and respiratory difficulties.[3

Reinforcing styrene butadiene rubber with lignin-novolac epoxy resin networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Yu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, lignin-novolac epoxy resin networks were fabricated in the styrene butadiene rubber (SBR matrix by combination of latex compounding and melt mixing. Firstly, SBR/lignin compounds were co-coagulated by SBR latex and lignin aqueous solution. Then the novolac epoxy resin (F51 was added in the SBR/lignin compounds by melt compounding method. F51 was directly cured by lignin via the ring-opening reaction of epoxy groups of F51 and OH groups (or COOH groups of lignin during the curing process of rubber compounds, as was particularly evident from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR studies and maximum torque of the curing analysis. The existence of lignin-F51 networks were also detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA. The structure of the SBR/lignin/F51 was also characterized by rubber process analyzer (RPA, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and determination of crosslinking density. Due to rigid lignin-F51 networks achieved in SBR/lignin/F51 composites, it was found that the hardness, modulus, tear strength, crosslinking density, the temperature of 5 and 10% weight-loss were significantly enhanced with the loading of F51.

Continuous carbon nanotube reinforced composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ci, L; Suhr, J; Pushparaj, V; Zhang, X; Ajayan, P M

2008-09-01

Carbon nanotubes are considered short fibers, and polymer composites with nanotube fillers are always analogues of random, short fiber composites. The real structural carbon fiber composites, on the other hand, always contain carbon fiber reinforcements where fibers run continuously through the composite matrix. With the recent optimization in aligned nanotube growth, samples of nanotubes in macroscopic lengths have become available, and this allows the creation of composites that are similar to the continuous fiber composites with individual nanotubes running continuously through the composite body. This allows the proper utilization of the extreme high modulus and strength predicted for nanotubes in structural composites. Here, we fabricate such continuous nanotube polymer composites with continuous nanotube reinforcements and report that under compressive loadings, the nanotube composites can generate more than an order of magnitude improvement in the longitudinal modulus (up to 3,300%) as well as damping capability (up to 2,100%). It is also observed that composites with a random distribution of nanotubes of same length and similar filler fraction provide three times less effective reinforcement in composites.

Mechanical, thermal and microstructural characteristics of cellulose fibre reinforced epoxy/organoclay nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.; Low, I.M.; Alothman, Z.

2012-01-01

increased as a result of the addition of nanoclay into the epoxy matrix. The presence of RCF significantly enhanced flexural strength, fracture toughness, impact strength and impact toughness of the composites. However, the inclusion of 1 wt.% clay into RCF

Characterization of adhesion at carbon fiber-fluorinated epoxy interface and effect of environmental degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Dasgupta, Suman

2011-12-01

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers are excellent candidates for aerospace, automobile and other mobile applications due to their high specific strength and modulus. The most prominent aerospace application of carbon fiber composites in recent times is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is the world's first major commercial airliner to extensively use composite materials. The critical issue, which needs to be addressed hereby, is long-term safety. Hence, long-term durability of composite materials in such applications becomes a point of concern. Conventional polymer matrices, such as thermosetting resins, which are used as matrix material in carbon fiber composites, are susceptible to degradation in the form of chemical corrosion, UV degradation and moisture, in severe environmental conditions. Fluorinated polymers offer a viable alternative as matrix material, due to their reduced susceptibility to environmental degradation. The epoxy system used in this study is fluorinated Tetra-glycidyl methylene di-aniline (6F-TGMDA), which was developed by polymer scientists at NASA Langley Research Center. The hydrophobic nature of this epoxy makes it a potential matrix material in aerospace applications. However, its compatibility in carbon fiber-reinforced composites remains to be investigated. This study aims to characterize the interfacial properties in carbon fiber reinforced fluorinated epoxy composites. Typical interfacial characterization parameters, like interfacial shear strength, estimated from the microbond test, proved to be inadequate in accurately estimating adhesion since it assumes a uniform distribution of stresses along the embedded fiber length. Also, it does not account for any residual stresses present at the interface, which might arise due to thermal expansion differences and Poisson's ratio differences of the fiber and matrix. Hence, an analytical approach, which calculates adhesion pressure at the interface, was adopted. This required determination of