Urethane-Acrylate/Aramid Nanocomposites Based on Graphenic Materials. A Comparative Study of Their Mechanical Properties

• Main Authors: Israel Gago, Manuel del Río, Gerardo León, Beatriz Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: graphenic materials; graphene nanocomposites; urethane-acrylate/aramid; mechanical properties
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/10/2388

Urethane-acrylate thermoset resins (UATR) are a new type of polymeric matrix that have recently made a strong breakthrough in the composites sector. This is because of their properties, which make them an advantageous alternative to epoxy resins, especially if they are reinforced with high-performance fibers such as aramids. Graphene-based nanocomposites are one of the most dynamic research fields in nanotechnology, because graphenic materials greatly improve the properties of traditional composites. This work represents a comparative study of the effect of adding three types of graphenic materials on the mechanical properties of UATR/aramid composites. Several UATR polymeric matrices were doped at 2% w/w with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and pristine few-layer graphene (FLG), and reinforced with Twaron CT709 para-aramid fibers. The obtained laminates showed low density (1.38 g·cm⁻³), a high volumetric fiber–resin ratio (80:20), homogeneous dispersion of the nanoreinforcement, high reproducibility, and easy scalability. The tensile, flexural and impact strength properties of the undoped composite and the graphene-doped nanocomposites were determined. FLG-doped nanocomposites showed the highest increase in all the mentioned mechanical properties and attained a very significant relative improvement over the undoped laminate (up to 134.4% in a_CU).