Improvements in mechanical properties of a carbon fiber epoxy compositse using carbon nanotube and nano-SiO2 fabricated using vacuum assisted resin infusion molding

Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite laminates, with strategically incorporated multi‐wall carbonnanotubes and Nano‐Silicon Oxide at 0.1, 0.5 and 0.9 weight percent (wt.%), are studied for improvements in the tensilestrength and stiffness and then are compared to those of the neat (0.0 wt.% CNTs or nano‐SiO2) composite laminatematerial. To develop the nanocomposite laminates, CNT and Nano‐Silicon Oxide were added to epoxy matrix bysonication method. The carbon fiber reinforced epoxy laminates were fabricated by Vacuum assisted resin infusionmolding (VARIM) method followed by a curing cycle. The multi‐wall CNT and Nano‐Silicon Oxide toughened the epoxyresin‐fiber interfaces to mitigate the evolution of fiber/fabric‐matrix interfacial cracking and delamination under tensileloadings. As a consequence, significant improvements in the mechanical properties of tensile strength and stiffnesswere achieved for this carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite laminate. The results showed that, by adding only 0.5wt.% CNT, the strength and stiffness increased 22% and 29% respectively and by adding 0.5 wt.% Nano‐Silicon Oxide,strength and stiffness increased 14% and 15% respectively compared with the results of neat composite specimen(0.0wt.% CNT or SiO2).

کلیدواژه ها:

Carbon fiber composite ، Epoxy resin ، Vacuum assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) ، Carbon nanotubes ، Nano‐Silicon Oxide (nano‐SiO2)