Effect of graphene nanoplatelets on the mechanical and gas barrier properties of woven carbon fibre/epoxy composites

Abstract

Carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are promising materials for non-metallic pipe applications in the oil and gas industry owing to their high corrosion resistance, specific strength and stiffness. However, CFRP has poor gas barrier performance meaning that a liner has to be inserted. Graphene-based nanomaterials have been demonstrated to improve gas barrier properties in thermoplastic polymers, and thus, a CFRP–graphene hybrid composite could provide an alternative to lined pipes. In this work, a method combining spray coating with vacuum-assisted resin infusion was developed to fabricate CFRP hybrid composites with preferred in-plane aligned graphene nanoplatelets. Tensile and flexural properties, as well as CO2 gas permeability, were evaluated. It was illustrated that both tensile and flexural properties performed better under relatively low GNP loadings (< 0.2 vol%), while gas barrier property was significantly improved with the increasing GNP loadings which fits the Nielsen model with an effective GNP aspect ratio of 350. Graphical abstract

Influence of graphene nanoplatelet concentration on the electrical, mechanical, and piezoresistive properties of glass fiber/epoxy composites

“…However, their results showed that the mechanical properties of glass fiber/epoxy composites lead to significant improvements in flexural strength and mode I interlaminar fracture toughness using a GNP content of 0.25 wt%. A similar trend on flexural properties was also reported by Yao and coworkers [ 37 ] for carbon fiber/epoxy composite with relatively low GNPs content. This signifies that the optimal concentration of GNPs is essential to provide better mechanical properties on composite laminates.…”

Flammability and vibrational study of graphene incorporated epoxy/ramie/glass hybrid nanocomposite

“…Wang et al 43 stated that integrating graphene nanofiller in glass/epoxy composite enhances flexural strength since adding graphene improves the bending load carrying capacity and reduces the filler pull‐out and matrix crack propagation. Yao et al 72 studied the rupture mechanism of tensile and flexural tested graphene nanoparticles integrated with epoxy/carbon fiber composites, and the SEM images from the study conducted by Yao et al 72 are similar to results obtained from this study as shown in Figure 6.…”

Strength enhancement of a flame‐retardant hybrid composite by incorporating graphene nanoparticles for structural applications

“…The agglomeration acts as a stress concentrator during loading, which causes early failure. Yao et al, 49 examine the fracture mechanism of mechanically tested grapheneadded carbon fiber/epoxy composites using SEM, whereas the results resemble those of earlier results that have been published.…”