Mechanical and thermal properties of hierarchical composites enhanced by pristine graphene and graphene oxide nanoinclusions
Date
2014-10-05Author
Zhang, Bangwei
Asmatulu, Ramazan
Soltani, Seyed A.
Le, Louie N.
Kumar, Sachin S. A.
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Zhang, B., Asmatulu, R., Soltani, S. A., Le, L. N. and Kumar, S. S. A. (2014), Mechanical and thermal properties of hierarchical composites enhanced by pristine graphene and graphene oxide nanoinclusions. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., vol. 131:no. 19:article 40826
Abstract
Epoxy resin nanocomposites incorporated with 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 wt % pristine graphene and modified graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes were produced and used to fabricate carbon fiber-reinforced and glass fiber-reinforced composite panels via vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. Mechanical and thermal properties of the composite panels-called hierarchical graphene composites-were determined according to ASTM standards. It was observed that the studied properties were improved consistently by increasing the amount of nanoinclusions. Particularly, in the presence of 4 wt % GO in the resin, tensile modulus, compressive strength, and flexural modulus of carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites were improved 15% (21%), 34% (84%), and 40% (68%), respectively. Likewise, with inclusion of 4 wt % pristine graphene in the resin, tensile modulus, compressive strength, and flexural modulus of carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites were improved 11% (7%), 30% (77%), and 34% (58%), respectively. Also, thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites with 4% GO inclusion was improved 52% (89%). Similarly, thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites with 4% pristine graphene inclusion was improved 45% (80%). The reported results indicate that both pristine graphene and modified GO nanoflakes are excellent options to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of fiber-reinforced polymeric composites and to make them viable replacement materials for metallic parts in different industries, such as wind energy, aerospace, marine, and automotive. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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