To Improve Mechanical Properties of Multilayered Carbon Fabric Composite by Nano Reinforcement

Abstract

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are considered as favourable structural material for load bearing applications, in automobile, aeronautics, sports and marine industries due to their excellent mechanical properties, like high specific strength better heat and corrosion resistance. Allotropes of carbon like, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene Nano platelets (GNPs) and ceramic nanoparticles (NPs) can be potential reinforcements for polymer composites to enhance these properties further. This research focuses on the fabrication of multi-layered carbon/epoxy Nano composite by using spray technique and vacuum bagging process to improve its mechanical properties. A spraying solution consisting of CNTs and SiC nanoparticles (NPs) in an ethanol solution with a little quantity of resin and hardener was prepared to modify the carbon fabrics. ZrC nanoparticles (NPs) were added to the matrix material (Epoxy) and uniformly dispersed using ultrasonic mixing and mechanical mixing. Successful fabrication of CNTs-SiC-ZrC reinforced carbon-fiber laminated composites was accomplished resulting ZrC distribution almost uniformly in the epoxy matrix and CNTs and SiC NPs in the interlaminar areas. It was observed that reinforcements effectively immobilised on the carbon fibers surface, thereby enhancing mechanical characteristics. The mechanical properties of the composite samples were observed by using short beam shear (SBS) test to determine interlayer shear strength (ILSS) and three-point flexural test as per ASTM standards D-2344 and ASTM D790, respectively; addition of 0.25wt% CNTs and 0.25wt% SiC in coating and 0.4wt% ZrC in epoxy demonstrated relatively higher values. The ILSS, flexural strength, flexural modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and tensile strength of multi scale Nano composite reached 23.72 to 32.6 MPa, 438.79 to 508.94 MPa, 40.64 to 45.2 GPa, 369.01 to 428.35 MPa, 398.04 to 457.48 MPa and 376.66 to 452.33 respectively, and the corresponding improvements were observed as 37.4%, 16%, 11.2%, 16.1%, 14.9% and 20% respectively compared with the control sample.