Comparative experimental investigations on mechanical properties of graphene and multi walled carbon nano tubes reinforced epoxy/glass fibre composites

Abstract

The exploration of nano fillers such as multi walled carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs) and graphene powders (GNPs) in the glass fibre reinforced polymers was found to augment the mechanical properties of the fibre reinforced polymers of the entire range after applying impact. The main imperative criterion is MWCNTs and graphene powder has better interfacial bonding with the matrix with increase in the percentage weights of nano fillers. It improves the recital of the composites. Therefore in this paper, the concentration/amount of the MWCNTs and Graphene, examination of the effect of the recital of the polymers in terms of loading and the mechanism on how the presence of nano fillers tends to enhance its mechanical properties have been discussed. The GFRP composites with different variations of epoxy resin reinforced along with fillers of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% wt. MWCNTs and GNPs were fabricated with minimum voids by ultrsonication method. A correlation was observed that when percentage weight addition of nano fillers are increased beyond 4% wt MWCNTs and 6% wt. GNPs all mechanical properties (Tensile strength, young’s modulus, flexural strength) tends to get reduced. This might be due to voids in the resin, viscosity and agglomeration of nano fillers which was found in scanning electron macroscopic images, that tends to change fibre/matrix interface. Also Graphene nano filler opts to better nano filler compared to multi walled carbon nano tubes since graphene reinforced GFRP specimens shows higher performative analysis than MWCNTs reinforced GFRP specimens.