Research Publications (Engineering and Built Environment)

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Bulk cure study of nanoclay filled epoxy glass fiber reinforced composite material
(De Guyter, 2016) Olusanya, John; Kanny, Krishnan; Singh, Shalini
The correlation between cure properties and structure of nanoclay filled composite laminate has not been studied extensively. Most of the cure studies were preferably done using small samples through a calorimetric method. In this study, the effect of varying weight ratio of nanoclay (1–5 wt%) on bulk cure properties of epoxy glass fiber reinforced composite (GFRC) laminates was studied. Bulk cure of unfilled and clay filled GFRC laminates was determined using the dynamic mechanical analysis-reheat method (DMA-RM). DMA-RM cure properties gave a better coordinate method, with better cure efficiency achieved in clay filled GFRC laminates when compared to unfilled GFRC laminates. The correlation between nanoclay and DMA-RM degree of cure was coordinated with compressive and in-plane shear strength properties. The degree of cure value of 78% by DMA-RM at 1 wt% clay filled GFRC corresponds with the compressive modulus and in-plane shear strength highest values, which are 20% and 14% increase, respectively, also at 1 wt% clay filled GFRC. The structures of the unfilled and clay filled epoxy were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Clay filled epoxy up to 3 wt% showed no distinct diffraction peak, which suggested that nanoclay is randomly dispersed in the matrix.