Mechanical Performance of Glass/Epoxy Composites Loaded with Silane-Treated Aluminum Hydroxide Fillers

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of silane-treated aluminum hydroxide on the mechanical performance of flame-retardant composites. These composites have potential applications for luggage bags, as a replacement for conventional plastics, offering more durability and lighter weight. Glass fabric was used as the reinforcement, while epoxy was used as the matrix material. To impart flame retardancy, aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles were used as fillers in different weight % age (5%, 10% and 15%). As these are inorganic particles and have compatibility issues with the matrix material, silane-coupling agents (Dynasylan® 6490 and Dynasylan Glymo) were used to treat these filler particles. Both the silane-coupling agents fraction used for treatment and the fillers fraction added to the composites were varied to determine the most optimum combination. The mechanical properties of the developed composites such as tensile, flexural, and short beam shear strength were investigated. The best results were exhibited by 10% aluminum hydroxide fillers treated with 1% (by weight) coupling agent (Dynasylan Glymo).

Development of New Hybrid Composites for High-Temperature Applications

“…Nowadays, the scope of these investigations is to find the behavior of aluminum foils to increase the mechanical properties [32,33], such as tensile strength and impact resistance; for example, the study conducted by Dhanaraj investigates the applicability of glass fibers as a reinforcement material for structural elements through experimental characterization, such as durability and mechanical properties (bending) [34]. To increase good bonding and adhesion between the fiber, metal and epoxy resin, circular holes with a 3 mm diameter were drilled in an aluminum foil at a pitch distance of 25 mm.…”