Abstract
The mechanical and physical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites are known to be significantly affected by the dispersion and distribution of the clay particles in the epoxy matrix. The degree of dispersion of the clay particles in the epoxy matrix depends mainly on the processing parameters used to synthesize the nanocomposite.In this paper, the optimized high shear mixing parameters determined in an earlier work were used to disperse five different loadings of Nanomer I.30E nanoclay (1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 5 wt%) into DGEBA epoxy matrix. A systematic approach was adopted to optimize the degassing process of the mixture. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that the optimum nanoclay dispersion was achieved for a degassing temperature of 120 °C. The flexural strength of the developed nanoclay/epoxy composite is found to increase by 15% for 1.5 wt% and due to the high stiffness of the clay, as compared with epoxy resin, the flexural modulus improved continuously with clay loading. The observed reduction in strength and fracture strain at high clay loadings is mainly attributable to the presence of clay agglomerations and voids formation. The diffusion of water molecules and maximum moisture uptake of epoxy are reduced considerably by the presence of nanoclay.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.