Effect of SiC nanoparticles on mechanical and damping properties of epoxy/polysulfide rubber blend composite

Abstract

Blend polymer matrix composite material are becoming more and more popular due to their promising mechanical properties. In this research, blend polymer mixture was make from epoxy resin (EP) blended with different weight percentages of polysulfide rubber (PSR) (0, 3, 6, 10, 15, and 20%). Then tensile, impact, bending strength and damping ratio were evaluated to get the high quality of mechanical properties for the blend matrix. Due to the requirements to enhance the mechanical properties of this blend; a various weight fraction of carbide silica (SiC) nanoparticle was used as a reinforcement in the ratios of (0, 1, 3, and 5%) by weight to the best ratio of the blended matrix. Tensile, impact, bending and damping ratio tests were also conducted to get the best mechanical properties for the blend materials. Experimental results for the blend matrix showed that adding polysulfide rubber to epoxy resin resulted in a decrease in Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and bending strength; however damping ratio and the impact strength increased. It is found that the weight fraction of 6% of PSR is the Better case, which gave the better mechanical characteristics properties for mixture. Utility of this mixture; it has intermediates between flexible properties of a mixture at the highest rate of PSR and brittle mechanical properties for EP resin. Mechanical and damping properties showed an increasing when the carbide silica (SiC) with a weight fraction of 3% added, then it decreased slightly.