Mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotube- and graphene-glass fiber fabric-reinforced epoxy composites: A comparative study

Abstract

This study was focused on the comparative effect of tube- and sheet-like nanocarbons on the structure–property relationships of fiber-reinforced composites. Graphene nanosheets and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were dispersed into commercial glass fiber fabric (Gf) to obtain multiscale graphene-Gf- and MWCNT-Gf-reinforcing materials, respectively, followed by a vacuum-assisted resin infusion process. The influence of MWCNTs and graphene on the mechanical and thermal performance of multiscale composites were investigated. The experimental results indicated that oxidized MWCNTs or graphene could ensure excellent dispersibility on the fiber surface, and ultimately enhance the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the resultant composites. Graphene oxide (GO), with a wrinkled and roughened texture, was shown to be superior to MWCNTs in terms of toughening the fiber/matrix interface and delaying the deformation or failure of the epoxy matrix. Under the same dosage of nanocarbons, the interlaminar shear strength of GO-Gf-reinforced composites (GO-GfCs) was raised by approximately 12%, and the relevant onset thermal-decomposition temperature was increased by > 11℃, compared with carboxyl MWCNT-Gf-reinforced composites (Mc-GfCs). Meanwhile, the GO-GfCs exhibited superior static and dynamic mechanical properties compared to those of Mc-GfCs.

Graphene and CNT‐Based Smart Fiber‐Reinforced Composites: A Review

“…Recently, Zeng et al. [ 154 ] investigated the effect of the tube‐and sheet‐like nanocarbons modification of GF fabric on the various properties of epoxy‐based composites and explored their reinforcement mechanisms at the fiber/matrix interface. Four different nanocarbons such as pristine MWCNT, carboxyl MWCNT, pristine graphene, and GO were used to manufacture nanocarbon‐GF/epoxy composites.…”

Enhanced Interfacial Properties of Carbon Nanomaterial–Coated Glass Fiber–Reinforced Epoxy Composite: A Molecular Dynamics Study

“…During the pull-out test of a single CNT-coated fiber from the polymer matrix, the surface of the fiber is clean and completely devoid of traces of either CNTs or polymer, indicating the failure occurs at the interface between fiber and CNTs (Agnihotri et al, 2011;Agnihotri et al, 2012). Experiments have also revealed that graphene has a better effect on the improvement of interfacial strength than CNTs (Zeng et al, 2018). The combined effect of carbon nanomaterials on the interfacial properties has also been investigated (Hua et al, 2017).…”

Pyrolysis Kinetic Behaviour of Glass Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composites Using Linear and Nonlinear Isoconversional Methods

“…It has wide applications in defense, electronics, renewable energy, etc. due to its outstanding physical properties including light weight and high chemical, mechanical, and thermal durability [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. According to recent studies, the market for fibre-reinforced composites in the USA has reached $12 billion in 2020 with an expected annual growth rate of 6.6% due to its adaptation in many modern applications such as wind energy [ 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”