Statistical Analysis of Polymer Nanocomposites for Mechanical Properties

• Main Authors: Shankar A. Hallad, N. R. Banapurmath, T. M. Yunus Khan, M. A. Umarfarooq, Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar, Anand M. Hunashyal, Sandeep V. Gujjar, Jayachandra S. Yaradoddi, Sharanabasava V. Ganachari, Ashraf Elfasakhany, Md Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Masood Ashraf Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: multi-walled carbon nanotube; epoxy nanocomposites; flexural test; scanning electron microscopy; energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/14/4135
• ISSN: 1420-3049

Epoxy resins, due to their high stiffness, ease of processing, good heat, and chemical resistance obtained from cross-linked structures, have found applications in electronics, adhesives coatings, industrial tooling, and aeronautic and automotive industries. These resins are inherently brittle, which has limited their further application. The emphasis of this study is to improve the properties of the epoxy resin with a low-concentration (up to 0.4% by weight) addition of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). Mechanical characterization of the modified composites was conducted to study the effect of MWCNTs infusion in the epoxy resin. Nanocomposites samples showed significantly higher tensile strength and fracture toughness compared to pure epoxy samples. The morphological studies of the modified composites were studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).