Evaluation of mechanical and electrical properties of GFRP composite strengthened with hybrid nanomaterial fillers
Ahmed Ali Farhan Ogaili, Ehsan Sabah Al-Ameen, Mohammed Salman Kadhim, Muhanad Nazar Mustafa
Abstract
Development of composite materials has increased rapidly in different fields of sciences. This offers new structures of reinforcement materials and risen. More recently, the use of nanomaterials as reinforcement materials has proliferated. This research studies the mechanical properties and electrical characteristics of hybrid composite materials. Glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) was used as a basic composite in addition to the nanomaterial which was mixed with the risen using different percentages. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and Silica (Silicon Dioxide SiO<sub>2</sub>) were used as nano-particles. The ratios of nano-particles used to reinforce the Epoxy were (0.1, 0.2, and 0.5%) of weight ratio for MWCNT and (1, 2, and 5%) of weight ratio for Silica nanoparticles (SiO<sub>2</sub>). The results showed that the ultimate strength for GRE with 0.1 wt%MWCNT-1 wt%SiO<sub>2</sub> was the highest, while Young’ modulus for GRE with 0.2 wt%MWCNT-2 wt%SiO<sub>2</sub> was the highest. In addition, the samples with 0.1 wt%MWCNT-1 wt%SiO<sub>2</sub> showed a magnificent value of electric conductivity. Having finished the mechanical tests, the fracture surfaces were comparatively examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).