Abstract
In this work, epoxy alumina nanocomposites were synthesized with Al2O3 nanofiller by instant cross-linking process. Two different particle morphologies (viz. rod and spherical shape) were selected as filler to investigate their effect along with wt.% (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt%) on the fatigue behavior of epoxy alumina nanocomposites. Stress to number of cycles to failure (S-N curve) as per ASTM D 7791 and fatigue crack growth (FCG) rate approach as per ASTM E 647 were used to evaluate fatigue life of epoxy alumina nanocomposites. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize dispersion and fracture surfaces of epoxy alumina nanocomposites. Particle morphology and wt.% influenced the fatigue life and FCG behavior of epoxy composite appreciably. Addition of spherical Al2O3 nanoparticles substantially improved the fatigue life of nanocomposites than unfilled epoxy at all levels of applied stresses. Fatigue life decreased with increase in wt.% of spherical Al2O3 nanoparticles and opposite trends is witnessed for nanorod filler. Higher resistance to FCG provided better fatigue life of spherical Al2O3 epoxy composites than nanorods and unfilled epoxy. Crack bowing and bifurcation, yielding, deep craters were the main fracture micro mechanism for high fatigue life of spherical Al2O3 nanoparticles reinforced epoxy composites. Various parameters like Young’s modulus, fatigue strength coefficient and exponent, Paris constants and strain energy were used to describe the fatigue and fatigue crack growth behavior.
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