An investigation on mechanical properties of SiC reinforced epoxy composite synthesized at room temperature

Abstract

The strength of a soft polymer matrix may be improved by introducing extremely small hard ceramic particles with a micron size in the correct weight fraction of the matrix. Abrasion resistance in service is provided by hard metal carbides such as silicon carbide, aluminium carbide, and other similar materials, which exhibit extremely high strength and hardness. As a result, it is used as a filler material in soft resin-like polymers to provide abrasion resistance during service conditions. In the current study, the resin is reinforced with silicon carbide because it is one of the most promising structural materials due to its superior thermomechanical properties, which include high chemical and thermal stability, good chemical inertness, high thermal conductivity, high hardness, low density, and low coefficient of thermal expansion, as well as its ease of procurement from the market. Epoxy resin was used as the matrix material, and SiC was added in various quantities (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% by weight) to assess the mechanical properties of the composites following the addition of SiC in various proportions. A straightforward Hand lay-up procedure was utilised to construct the PMC at room temperature for the purposes of synthesis. In order to cure the samples at room temperature, the resin had to be mixed with an appropriate hardener, which assisted in curing the samples at room temperature. For the assessment of its mechanical qualities, it is subjected to a variety of tests such as tensile, impact, flexural, and hardness. The addition of SiC to the composite resulted in significant increases in impact strength, tensile strength, and hardness of the composite. It was revealed that the composite's strength increased when the deformation of the polymer matrix was resisted by the hard silicon carbide particle, following the addition of 20 wt% SiC, the strength has grown by 49%. The highest impact strength was recorded as 8 J. The maximum hardness obtained from the test was 85 HRB, elucidating that the SiC particles resist the deformation of the polymer during penetration. After the composites were subjected to tensile and impact testing, the fracture surface analysis revealed that they had suffered a brittle fracture.