Effect of an Ionic Liquid on the Flexural and Fracture Mechanical Properties of EP/MWCNT Nanocomposites

Abstract

Abstract. The improvement of interfacial adhesion between multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and epoxy resin (EP) was investigated in nanocomposites with the addition of an ionic liquid (IL, 1-Ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate -EMIM BF 4 ) as interfacial adhesion promoter. MWCNT (0, 0.3 and 0.5 weight%) was dispersed in EP through diluting an MWCNTrich masterbatch prepared in presence and absence of IL. Three point bending and compact tension (CT) fracture mechanical tests were performed on specimens with different MWCNT contents with and without IL surfactant. IL addition resulted in easier dispersion of MWCNT in the EP masterbatch. With the addition of the IL the three point bending strength, the bending modulus of elasticity and the critical force required for crack propagation have increased significantly at the optimal, 0.3 weight% MWCNT content. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) investigation of the fracture surfaces of the CT specimens revealed that incorporation of MWCNTs and its IL-assisted dispersion produced rougher surfaces suggesting higher fracture toughness than the reference EP.

High strength epoxy system modified with soft block copolymer and stiff core-shell rubber nanoparticles: Morphology, mechanical properties, and fracture mechanisms

“…The following systems were examined by different researchers, e.g. SiO 2 and CSR [24,25], BCP, and TiO 2 nanoparticles [19] and CTBN-rubber and CNT [26,27]. However, no synergies were observed in the case of BCP-CNT hybrids [28].…”