The characteristics of the debonding process zone involving macroscale, microscale, and nanoscale mechanisms along CNT interface influence the fracture behavior of nanocomposites and their structural integrity. In current article, a multi-scale and multi-mechanism modeling approach with a cylindrical RVE comprising CNT, interphase, and matrix is developed to assess such damage progression and energy dissipation occurring at the nanoscale. The model considers the dominant damaging phenomena emerging in CNT/epoxy nanocomposites, that is, CNT debonding with an interphase zone around nanoparticles, cavitation, and plastic deformation of nanovoids. Enhancement of fracture toughness with the weight fraction of CNT is investigated with a qualitative variation of geometric and mechanical properties of the interphase, cavitation, and plastic yielding adopting strain energy release rate procedures. The fracture energy is shown to be critically influenced by the stiffness ratio of interphase to the matrix, interphase thickness, and hardening exponent. The model is validated using experimental and analytical data.
In this work, a mathematical model is developed to optimize the alignment parameters of Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP) and Fe3O4-GNP applying a weak DC magnetic field (0.05 T), considering rotation, translation, migration, and slackening mechanisms of the nanoparticle in the epoxy. The characteristic magnetic, viscosity and hydrodynamic parameters required by the mathematic model are determined experimentally by synthesizing the magnetite ferric oxide (Fe3O4) and attaching them to GNP to increase its magnetic susceptibility. A highly aligned Fe3O4-GNP nanocomposite is fabricated at 0.05 T magnetic field and 40 Pa-s dynamic viscosity of epoxy, as evident from the optical image analysis. The mass magnetic susceptibility for the nanoparticles are determined at different magnetic field. Time needed for the alignment process at 0.05 T and viscosity range 10–50 Pa-s are compared among the rotation, chaining, migration and the slackening phenomena. The procedure demonstrated to prepare fully cured nanocomposite with aligned Fe3O4-GNP can be used in advanced structures.
Graphene has been hailed by scientists as the “wonder material” of the 21st century. Despite the impressive mechanical and electrical qualities of graphene in its unprocessed state, graphene‐based epoxy nanocomposites can only be used as a structural material on a small scale. The random dispersion and orientation of graphene in epoxy cause the failure. Magnetite Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized and solvo‐thermally attached to the graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) surfaces in order to utilize our recently model's suggested optimized alignment parameters. Solution with properly dispersed nanoparticles, that is, Fe3O4‐GNP within epoxy, is exposed to the magnetic field (0.05 T). Morphology, microstructure, and magnetic properties of GNP, Fe3O4, and Fe3O4‐GNP nanoparticles have been characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray microanalysis, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The aforementioned characterization method, optical microscopy, and studying the fracture surface morphology confirmed the alignment. The fabricated aligned Fe3O4‐GNP nanocomposite is best used as a functional material.
Egg shells and fish scales are two abundantly available by-products from food industries which can be used as filler materials to reinforce polymer composites. The bulk of discarded chicken eggshells and fish scales are disposed of in landfills, which cause environmental issues. The present research work focuses on the water absorption, mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites reinforced with chicken eggshells and catla fish scale particles. Hybrid composites incorporating both fillers were also made and evaluated. Results from the water absorption tests showed that the addition of fillers decreased the water absorption of the composites than neat epoxy. Tensile and impact tests revealed that the inclusion of fillers reduced the tensile and impact strength of the composites compared to neat epoxy, but improved the tensile modulus. The hybrid composite (EFREC) showed improvement in both flexural strength and modulus in comparison to neat epoxy. Also, the results from the wear tests revealed that the addition of fillers improved the wear resistance of the composites. Among all the mechanical and wear tested composite specimens, the hybrid composite (EFREC) showed the best performance. This was also validated from the SEM images of the fracture and wear surfaces of the composites.
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