Influence of nanoparticle size on the mechanical and tribological characteristics of TiO2 reinforced epoxy composites

Abstract

Photosensitive resins (PSR) were exposed to challenging operational conditions in different technological domains. It is desirable to enhance the mechanical durability of PSR for its usage in real-world applications. We use TiO2 to improve the mechanical strength and durability of PSR and comprehend nanoparticles' impact on PSR's durability. Herein, we compare the mechanical properties of photosensitive resins (PSR) and TiO2-based polymer nanocomposites (T@PNCs) with varying nanoparticle sizes [1 μm and 20 nm]. Firstly, the ultrasonic dual mixing (UDM) technique is employed, which involves the simultaneous use of ultrasonic mixing and stirring to produce nanocomposites of T@PNCs slurry. Before printing, the initial designs were created using solidworks software, and 3D-Printing was performed using a 3D Moon Ray Printer. Rod and flat specimens were printed, and their structural and mechanical strength were analyzed. The experimental results suggest that larger nanoparticles, measuring 1 μm, decrease the mechanical durability of T@PNCs. However, reducing the size of nanoparticles in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) to 20 nm increases mechanical resilience, leading to improved flexural and tensile strength. Our experimental results demonstrate that the nanoparticles' size strongly influences PSR's mechanical properties.