Structure and Property of Carbon Nanotubes Attached Glass Fabric Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Abstract

The surfaces of glass fabric (GF) were attached with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through electrostatic absorption and physical deposition methods, thus the MWCNTs attached GF reinforced epoxy composites based on the GF-d-CNTs and GF-a-CNTs multiscale reinforcements were prepared by vacuum-assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) technique. Tensile properties, flexural properties, interlaminar shear strength, dynamic viscoelasticity and microstructure of composites were measured and characterized using the static and dynamic mechanics methods, scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The results show that the network structures of MWCNTs attached GF, like "nanobarbed wires", are identified to improve the fiber/matrix adhesion strength and the toughness of resin through the micromechanical interlocking, which exhibits an evident enhancement in glass transition temperature (Tg). As compared to the GFRP without MWCNTs, the mechanical properties of GF-d-CNTs composites are significantly higher, the tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus and interlaminar shear strength of GF-d-CNTs composites increased by 14.5%, 37.9%, 26.2%, 36.6% and 31.5%, respectively. Moreover, the Tg of GF-a-CNTs composites is improved by 8.9℃.

Keywords

• multi-walled carbon nanotubes
• glass fabric
• composite
• vacuum-assisted resin infusion molding
• epoxy resin