Influence of single and multi-walled CNT on the mechanical performance of glass fiber hybrid polymer composites

Abstract

The structural materials of the twenty-first century have evolved with the inclusion of nano scale materials which can be utilized to improve the performances of the materials significantly. One of such widely adopted nano material is carbon nano tubes (CNTs) which can further be categorized as single walled and multi walled CNTs (SWCNT and MWCNT). Similarly, glass fiber reinforced polymer composites (GFRP) are a promising material for a wide range of applications, including automotive parts, aircraft components, boat hulls, wind turbine blades, and construction materials. Research by material designers continues to explore new avenues for further improving properties of GFRP composites by using nanomaterials and other advanced materials. In the present work, a new class of polymeric composite material is developed with different filler loading (i.e., 1% to 5% with a step of 1%) of single and multi-walled CNT with glass fiber as reinforcement phase. The tensile and flexural strengths of the hybrid nano composites were determined. The incorporation of CNT with glass fiber epoxy composites strengthened the matrix phase thereby enhancing the tensile and flexural strengths of the developed composites. Further, the obtained experimental findings outlined that the multi walled carbon nano tube filler provided optimum tensile and flexural strength among developed composites due to the better interphase bonding with multi walled structure of MWCNT filler structure. Further, the microscopic analysis of the fractured surfaces was conducted to analyze different mechanisms leading to failure of composite materials during loading.