High-performance fiberglass/epoxy reinforced by functionalized CNTs for vehicle applications with less fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) is among the most promising nanofiller materials that could be used for enhancing the properties of fiberglass/epoxy laminates for vehicle industries with less CO₂ emission (the key player in the climate change). However, usually the commercialized CNTs are supplied in the shape of heavily entangled tubes what leads to random dispersion of CNTs in the polymer matrix and decrease in their performance, especially at industrial scale. Within this frame, the chemical functionalization process was used in the present research to avoid this problem and to modify the surface properties of CNTs at the same time, thus improving compatibility and solubility of CNTs in epoxy solutions. Afterwards, probe sonicator (pre-dispersion), ultrasonic path (main dispersion), mechanical mixer (mixed CNTs/Epoxy solutions with hardener), and vacuum infiltration (to remove air bubbles) were used to disperse functionalized CNTs with different concentrations (in the range 0.05–0.4 wt%) in the epoxy-hardener solutions. Then, vacuum-assisted resin transfer technique followed by curing process were used to prepare 4 layers-fiberglass/CNTs/epoxy panels. The mechanical and impact properties of the prepared panels were tested according to ASTM D7025 and ISO 6603-2 standards, respectively. Also, thermal behavior of the panels was investigated using thermogravimetric (TG-DTG). Finally, the environmental performance in terms of greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) was evaluated according to ISO-14040 standard, taking the resulting strength and changes in density into account. The results showed that 0.35 wt% of FCNTs were enough to improve the strength of panels by ~60%, compared to pure sample. Which means that weight structure of vehicles can decrease by 23%. Also, fuel consumption and GHGE can decrease significantly by 16% and ~26%, respectively. In addition, thermal stability and energy impact absorption at the same concentration of CNTs were improved by 5% and 31%, respectively.     

Low velocity impact and pseudo-ductile behaviour of carbon/glass/epoxy and carbon/glass/PMMA hybrid composite laminates for aircraft application at service temperature

Carbon/glass hybrid composite (CGHC) laminates are some of the most promising composites for lightweight applications. Sometimes these laminates are used in warm environment, such as aircraft frame structures, and this may affect their performance. In order to investigate this issue, the present research aims to study the effect of temperatures on the impact behavior and pseudo-ductile behaviour of CGHC in presence of different types of thermosets “epoxy” and thermoplastic “acrylic poly-methyl methacrylate-PMMA”. The experiments were started with making of CGHC laminates from different stacking sequences of unidirectional carbon and woven glass fibre layers, using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer method followed by curing treatment. In addition to CGHC laminates, four other neat batches (Carbon/epoxy, Carbon/PMMA, Glass/epoxy, Glass/PMMA) were prepared for comparison. The low velocity impact behaviour of the fabricated panels was evaluated at high temperatures (60 °C and 80 °C) according to ISO 6603-2 standard, using drop tower, while pseudo-ductile behaviour and ductility index (DI) of the specimens were estimated based on the measured total energy and elastic energy. Also, the low-velocity impact response was modeled mathematically based on a modified energy-balance model to predict the absorbed energies. Finally, the failure mechanisms were examined using optical microscope to determine the influence of these damage growth on DI of the composites under different temperatures. The results showed that the impact energy response of both hybrid composites i.e. epoxy and PMMA was stable even as the temperature rose, however, carbon/glass/PMMA exhibited better performance compared with carbon/glass/epoxy with an increase in impact energy response estimated at 50% (25 °C) and 53% (80 °C). Also, the pseudo-ductile phenomenon was strongly evident, which facilitates the predictablility of failure.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of Acacia leucophloea fiber/epoxy composites: Influence of fiber loading and alkali treatment

In this work, the influence of fiber content and alkali treatment on the mechanical and thermal properties of Acacia leucophloea fiber-reinforced epoxy composites was studied. Ten composite samples were fabricated by varying fiber content (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt%); both untreated and treated fiber were soaked in a 5% NaOH solution for 45 min by using hand-layup method. The composite reinforced with 20 wt% treated fiber content exhibited better mechanical properties and thermal properties. Fourier transform infrared analysis, morphological analysis by atomic force microscope, and scanning electron microscope of composites were also performed.     

Enhancement of water barrier properties and tribological performance of hybrid glass fiber/epoxy composites with inclusions of carbon and silica nanoparticles

Water barrier properties and tribological performance (hardness and wear behavior) of new hybrid nanocomposites under dry and wet conditions were investigated. The new fabricated hybrid nanocomposite laminates consist of epoxy reinforced with woven and nonwoven tissue glass fibers and two different types of nanoparticles, silica (SiO₂) and carbon black nanoparticles (C). These nanoparticles were incorporated into epoxy resin as a single nanoparticle (either SiO₂ or C) or combining SiO₂ and C nanoparticles simultaneously with different weight fractions. The results showed that addition of carbon nanoparticles with 0.5 and 1 wt% resulted in maximum reduction in water uptake by 28.55% and 21.66%, respectively, as compared with neat glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Addition of all studied types and contents of nanoparticles improves hardness in dry and wet conditions over unfilled fiber composites. Under dry conditions, maximum reduction of 47.26% in weight loss was obtained with specimens containing 1 wt% carbon nanoparticles; however, in wet conditions, weight loss was reduced by 17.525% for specimens containing 0.5 wt% carbon nanoparticles as compared with unfilled fiber composites. Diffusion coefficients for different types of the hybrid nanocomposites were computed using Fickian and Langmuir models of diffusion. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种液晶环氧增韧环氧树脂的研究

环氧树脂具有优异的机械性能 ,耐高温以及良好的加工工艺性 .被广泛用于机械、航天、船舶等领域 .由于环氧树脂固化后断裂延伸率小 ,脆性大 ,使其应用受到了一定的限制 .为此 ,国内外学者对环氧树脂进行了大量的改性研究工作 .用含有“柔性链段”的固化剂固化环氧 ,在交联网络中引入柔性链段[1] ;在环氧基体中加入橡胶弹性体[2 ] 、热塑性树脂[3 ,4] 、液晶聚合物[5,6] 等分散相或用热固性树脂连续贯穿于环氧树脂网络中形成互穿、半互穿网络结构[7] ,以改善环氧树脂的韧性 .本文采用液晶环氧化合物原位复合增韧环氧树脂 ,考察了液晶环氧对环…     

High mechanical and thermal performance of Sasobit-modified epoxy resin,prepared via vacuum shock technique

In this study, thermal and mechanical properties of novel nanocomposite, epoxy resin reinforced with octadecylamine functionalized graphene oxide (GO-ODA) and Sasobit, prepared via creative vacuum shock technique, were investigated. By introducing 1, 3 and 5 wt% Sasobit to the neat epoxy resin, the tensile strength increased remarkably by 104%, 315% and 266%, respectively due to the unique stiff and crystalline structure of Sasobit. In addition, considerable enhancement of 125% in Young's modulus, 351% in toughness, 562% in impact resistance, ~19 °C in thermal stability and ~7 °C in glass transition temperature of epoxy resin with 3 wt% Sasobit loading was demonstrated. The composite containing 3 wt% Sasobit alone, were found to have even superior properties than GO-ODA/epoxy nanocomposite, as surprisingly 3, 2.9, 2.2 and 2 times more improvement, respectively in tensile strength, toughness, impact strength and thermal stability of epoxy resin compared to reinforcement with GO-ODA were obtained.     

Effect of preheat and encapsulation of steel particles on the interaction with Bisphenol A composites

In this study, the mechanical and thermal behavior of the steel particles (SP) fabricated epoxy-based composites were investigated. The purpose of using SP was to find out their suitability and compatibility to be used as low-cost fillers for epoxy-based composites. A special steel-cast metal mold was used to fabricate the composites via self-casting method. The effect of SP concentration (10, 20, 30 and 40 wt%) on various properties of the epoxy/SP composites was explored. Another sample was prepared using the optimum loading with a special treatment using heat and encapsulation of the SP. Mechanical properties of the composites were analyzed through tensile, flexural and impact testing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the structural and morphological properties. In addition, thermal properties of the composites were analyzed with the thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Results indicated that the addition of PS into epoxy improved both tensile and flexural strength up to 98.5% and 147.6%, respectively, compared to the neat epoxy (NE). The decomposition temperature was raised nearly 18 °C for adding 30 wt% SP which was the maximum among all other composites. Results showed that 30 wt% of SP was the optimum loading for the better properties of the composites. In addition, the preheat treatment of the particles and the encapsulation process established a better interaction between the epoxy and the particles which resulted in the superior performance of the composites compared to the other samples. Overall, the improved mechanical and thermal properties of the SP-fabricated epoxy composites indicate that the epoxy/SP composite is a good candidate for structural and high temperature applications.     

Non-linear material characterization and numerical modeling of cross-ply basalt/epoxy laminate under low velocity impact

The low velocity impact behavior of basalt/epoxy composites, seen as an eco-friendly replacement of glass-epoxy composites, has not been studied systematically so far. Here, the elastic elasto-plastic properties, strengths, intralaminar and interlaminar fracture energies were determined. The intralaminar energies were determined using compact tension and compression tests. The elasto-plastic properties needed in the plastic potential were determined using off-axis test. These properties are used in Finite Element (FE) code with an elasto-plastic damage model developed earlier to simulate the impact response of cross-ply laminates basalt/epoxy laminates. Low velocity impact (LVI) experiments at 10 J, 20 J and 30 J are performed on these composites. The FE simulation is successful in capturing force, energy, deflection histories and damage zones showing a close match to the experiments. A comparison of impact force history and damage area (ultrasonic C-scan) of basalt-epoxy laminates with glass epoxy laminates having same volume fraction shows nearly similar peak forces but the major axis of the ellipsoidal damage zone was bigger in glass/epoxy laminates.     

Preparation and properties characterization of gallic acid epoxy resin/succinic anhydride bionanocomposites modified by green reduced graphene oxide

Graphene oxide was reduced into reducing-graphene oxide (r-GO) successfully using gallic acid (GA) as a green reducing agent. Biobased gallic acid epoxy resin (GAER) was synthesized from renewable GA, and the biobased GAER/r-GO nanocomposites and glass fiber-reinforced composites were prepared with succinic anhydride as a curing agent. The dynamic mechanical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composites with varying r-GO contents were characterized. When the content of r-GO was 0.5 wt%, the glass transition temperature was 10.4°C higher than the pure resin system. The thermal and mechanical properties were increased with increasing r-GO content; when the r-GO content was 1.0 wt%, the initial degradation temperature was enhanced by approximately 6.8°C, the tensile and impact strengths were 34.5% and 49.1% higher, respectively, than the pure cured GAER. The impact strength of GAER was higher than that of the bisphenol A epoxy resin/SUA curing system, but the tensile strength was lower than it.     

Improved flame retardant properties of epoxy resin by fluorinated MMT/MWCNT additives

Flame retardant additives of montmorillonite (MMT) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were embedded in epoxy resin to improve the resin's flame retardant properties. MMT was fluorinated to exfoliate its layers and enhance its dispersion into the epoxy resin. The MWCNT was also fluorinated to create hydrophobic functional groups for improved dispersion into the epoxy resin. The MWCNT reduced the degradation rate of the epoxy resin and increased the char yield. Limiting oxygen index also increased showing first order against char yield. The exfoliated MMT acted as an energy storage medium to hinder thermal transfer within the epoxy resin. The activation energy increased almost two times by fluorinated MMT/MWCNT additives. The fluorination of the additives, MMT and MWCNT significantly improved the flame retardant properties of the epoxy resin.     

Impact resistance of hybrid glass fiber reinforced epoxy/nanoclay composite

The effect of nanoclay addition in Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy (GFRE) composites on impact response was studied. The epoxy nanocomposite matrix with 1.5 and 3.0 wt% loading of I.30E nanoclay was produced by high shear mixing. Hybrid GFRE nanoclay composite plates were manufactured by hand layup and hot pressing techniques using electrical grade-corrosion resistant (E-CR) glass fiber mats. The laminates were then subjected to low-velocity impact with energies between 10 and 50 J. Addition of nanoclay was found to improve peak load and stiffness of GFRE. Nanoclay loading of 1.5 wt% resulted in optimum properties, with 23% improvement in peak load and 11% increase in stiffness. A significant reduction in physical damage was also observed for hybrid nanocomposite samples as compared to GFRE. This was mainly attributed to transition in damage mechanism due to nanoclay addition. Clay agglomeration in samples with 3.0 wt% loading contributed towards limiting the improvement in impact resistance.     

Nanocomposites based on vapor-grown carbon nanofibers and an epoxy: Functionalization, preparation and characterization

Vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNF) were functionalized with amine-containing pendants via a Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction with 4-(3-aminophenoxy)benzoic acid. The resulting H₂N-VGCNF was treated with epichlorohydrin, followed by sodium hydroxide solution to afford N,N-diglycidyl-modified VGCNF that is designated as epoxy-VGCNF. Subsequently, epoxy-VGCNF was dispersed in an epoxy resin (Epon 862) with the aid of acetone and sonication. After acetone had been removed under vacuum from the mixture, curing agent “W” was added to epoxy-VGCNF/Epon 862 mixture, which was then poured into molds and cured at 250 °F (121 °C) for 2 h and 350 °F (177 °C) for 2 h to form a series of epoxy/fVGCNF samples; fVGCNF designated for “functionalized VGCNF” was used to denote our belief that all epoxy functions have reacted in the resulting nanocomposites. The VGCNF content was increased from 0.10 to 10.0 wt%. For comparison purposes, the pristine VGCNF or pVGCNF (0.1-5.0 wt%) was also used in the in situ polymerization of Epon 862 and curing agent “W” to afford another series of epoxy/pVGCNF samples. The epoxy-VGCNF showed a better dispersion in the epoxy resin than pVGCNF according to SEM results. Both the tensile moduli and strengths of epoxy/fVGCNF nanocomposites are higher than those of epoxy/pVGCNF. The additive effect of VGCNF on glass-transition (T_g) was discussed in terms of thermal analysis results. The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Epoxy nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity and low loss factor: Realize 3D thermal conductivity network at low content through core-shell structure and micro-nano technology

Dielectric polymers with high thermal conductivity are very promising in the fields of aerospace and electronic device packaging. However, composites with excellent dielectric properties usually have low thermal conductivity. It is usually to fill the polymer with thermal conductivity particles to improve the thermal conductivity, but the high content of filler often reduces the mechanical properties of the polymer. In this paper, the traditional insulating polymer epoxy resin was used as the matrix, by covering the surface of silicon carbide with graphene to form a core-shell structure and co-filled with nano diamonds to achieve the preparation of high-performance epoxy resin at low content. The results showed that at the filling content of 30 wt%, the thermal conductivity of epoxy nanocomposites showed a dramatic thermal conductivity enhancement of 1263%, the energy storage modulus increased by 1.1 GPa, and the dielectric loss remained unchanged at 50 Hz. The advantages of the composite are the structural design and surface modification of the filler, which not only take advantage of its inherent advantages, but also improve the interface area with the epoxy matrix. The composite materials with excellent properties are expected to provide theoretical guidance for the application of high thermal conductivity dielectric materials.     

Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Bio-Phenolic/Epoxy Polymer Blends

Polymer blends is a well-established and suitable method to produced new polymeric materials as compared to synthesis of a new polymer. The combination of two different types of polymers will produce a new and unique material, which has the attribute of both polymers. The aim of this work is to analyze mechanical and morphological properties of bio-phenolic/epoxy polymer blends to find the best formulation for future study. Bio-phenolic/epoxy polymer blends were fabricated using the hand lay-up method at different loading of bio-phenolic (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, and 25 wt%) in the epoxy matrix whereas neat bio-phenolic and epoxy samples were also fabricated for comparison. Results indicated that mechanical properties were improved for bio-phenolic/epoxy polymer blends compared to neat epoxy and phenolic. In addition, there is no sign of phase separation in polymer blends. The highest tensile, flexural, and impact strength was shown by P-20(biophenolic-20 wt% and Epoxy-80 wt%) whereas P-25 (biophenolic-25 wt% and Epoxy-75 wt%) has the highest tensile and flexural modulus. Based on the finding, it is concluded that P-20 shows better overall mechanical properties among the polymer blends. Based on this finding, the bio-phenolic/epoxy blend with 20 wt% will be used for further study on flax-reinforced bio-phenolic/epoxy polymer blends.     

Synergy effects of multi-walled carbon nanotube and graphene nanoplate filled epoxy adhesive on the shear properties of unidirectional composite bonded joints

In this paper, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanoplates (GNPs) were dispersed into epoxy adhesive by sonication method to investigate their synergy effects on the shear properties of unidirectional composite bonded single lap joints (SLJs). The effect of the viscosity of epoxy resin and hardener on the dispersion process was studied. Testing results showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs and GNPs significantly improved the shear strength and elongation of SLJs at failure. 0.75 wt% MWCNTs/GNPs hybrids reached the highest enhancement of shear strength and elongation by 36.6% and 33.2%, respectively. In addition, the thermal stability of epoxy adhesive was improved by nanofillers in some extent. Finally, the failure mode of SLJs and fracture surfaces of the bonding area as well as the damage mechanism of nanofillers were analyzed.     

Effect of Oil Palm and Jute Fiber Treatment on Mechanical Performance of Epoxy Hybrid Composites

In this work, oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and jute fibers were treated with 2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate (2-HEA) to improve interfacial bonding of oil palm EFB and jute fibers with epoxy matrix. Hybrid composites were fabricated by incorporation of modified oil palm EFB and jute fibers into an epoxy matrix by the hand lay-up technique. Mechanical (flexural and impact) and morphological properties of modified hybrid composites were measured. Results indicated that flexural and impact properties of modified fiber–reinforced hybrid composites improved as compared to untreated hybrid composites due to better fiber/matrix interfacial bonding, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. We confirmed that treated oil palm/jute hybrid composite may be fabricated by advanced techniques such as resin transfer molding, extrusion, and injection molding for industrial applications in the automotive sector.     

Enhanced fracture toughness and mechanical properties of epoxy resin with rice husk-based nano-silica

This paper reports a novel approach to toughen epoxy resin with nano-silica fabricated from rice husk using a thermal treatment method with a particle size distribution in range of 40–80 nm. The nano-silica content was in the range, 0.03–0.10 phr, with respect to epoxy. The mechanical test showed that with the addition of 0.07 phr of rice husk based nano-silica, the fracture toughness of the neat epoxy resin increased 16.3% from 0.61 to 0.71 MPa m^1/2. The dynamic mechanical analysis test results showed that the glass transition temperature (T _g) of a 0.07 phr nano-silica dispersion in epoxy resin shifted to a higher temperature from 140 to 147°C compared to neat epoxy resin. SEM further showed that the nano-silica particles dispersed throughout the epoxy resin prevented and altered the path of crack growth along with a change in the fracture surface morphology of cured epoxy resin.     

Improving Thermal and Flame Retardant Properties of Epoxy Resin with Organic NiFe‐Layered Double Hydroxide‐Carbon Nanotubes Hybrids

To improve the dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and flame retardancy of layered double hydroxide (LDH) in epoxy resin (EP), organic nickel‐iron layered double hydroxide (ONiFe‐LDH‐CNTs) hybrids were assembled through co‐precipitation. These hybrids were further used as reinforcing filler in EP. EP/ONiFe‐LDH‐CNTs nanocomposites containing 4 wt% of ONiFe‐LDH‐CNTs with different ratios of ONiFe‐LDH and CNTs were prepared by ultrasonic dispersion and program temperature curing. The structure and morphology of the obtained hybrids were characterized by different techniques. The dispersion of nanofillers in the EP matrix was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results revealed a coexistence of exfoliated and intercalated ONiFe‐LDH‐ CNTs in polymer matrix. Strong combination of the above nanofillers with the EP matrix provided an efficient thermal and flame retardant improvement for the nanocomposites. It showed that EP/ONiFe‐LDH‐CNTs nanocomposites exhibited superior flame retardant and thermal properties compared with EP. Such improved thermal properties could be attributed to the better homogeneous dispersion, stronger interfacial interaction, excellent charring performance of ONiFe‐LDH and synergistic effect between ONiFe‐LDH and CNTs.     

Characteristics of kenaf fibre/epoxy composites subjected to thermal degradation

Kenaf fibres are receiving much attention in the natural fibre composite industry due to its potential as polymer reinforcements. However, like all natural fibres, kenaf fibres have lower thermal resistance as compared to synthetic fibres. In this current work, the characteristics of kenaf fibre/epoxy composites, both treated and untreated using alkalization process, exposed to high temperature were studied. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal decomposition behaviour of treated and untreated kenaf/epoxy composites as well as their components, kenaf fibre and neat epoxy from room temperature up to 600 °C. The weight loss and physical changes of these samples were observed through furnace pyrolysis. Surface morphology of the composites after degradation was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results from the TGA showed that the addition of kenaf fibres into the epoxy slightly improves both the charring and thermal stability of the samples. However, it was observed that alkalization causes reduction in these behaviours for the kenaf/epoxy composite. Generally, increased exposure time causes higher weight loss of the composites only up to 150 °C. At higher temperature, duration of exposure has little influence on the weight loss. Fibre-matrix debondings were observed on degraded samples implying mechanical degradation of the composites had occurred.     

Functionalized boron carbide for enhancement of anticorrosion performance of epoxy resin

In this study, epoxy coatings were modified by adding various compositions of B₄C particles. In order to achieve proper dispersion of particles in the epoxy coating and increasing chemical interactions between particles and polymeric coating, the surface of the B₄C particles was treated with γ‐(2,3‐epoxypropoxy) propytrimethoxysilane (KH560). The surface modification and microstructure of B₄C were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was also used to evaluate the impedance of coatings. The results revealed that the KH560 not only enhanced the interaction between B₄C particles and epoxy resin but also exhibited a remarkable ability to improve the anticorrosion performance of epoxy resin. The epoxy coating with the 3 wt% B₄C‐KH560 particles exhibited the best anticorrosion performance, which can be attributed to the best uniform dispersion of the B₄C‐KH560 particles, and the particles effectively block the aggressive species (Cl⁻, O₂, and H₂O) from the coating.