Investigation of the mechanical, thermal and dielectric properties of electrical corrosion resistance glass reinforced polyimide-based composite produced by spark plasma sintering

Abstract

Polyimide polymer matrix composites have gained numerous attentions in the design and fabrication of components for automobile, aerospace, and electronics applications as a result of their outstanding properties. Composites are currently replacing polymers as structural, insulation and dielectric materials, and the improvement of mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of polyimide (PI) becomes important. Thus, in this paper, the enhancement of the mechanical, thermal stability, and dielectric properties of PI composites with boron-free E-glass (electrical corrosion resistance (ECR) glass) reinforcements (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) process is presented. X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), nanoindentation tests, thermogravimetric analyser, and LCR meter tester were used to investigate the morphology, mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of the developed composites, respectively. The SEM results revealed that the ECR-glass powder particles were well dispersed in the PI matrix. The introduction of the ECR into the PI matrix, improves its hardness, stiffness, and modulus. From the obtained results, a notable improvement in its hardness (9.36%), stiffness (30.77%), and modulus (43.58%) was revealed for ECR/PI loaded with 15 wt% ECR compared to pure PI. The thermal stability of the PI composites was observed to be improved with the incorporation of the ECR-glass particles. The heat resistance index of the PI was recorded to be improved by 3.8% at 15 wt% ECR incorporation. Furthermore, the composites depicted low dielectric constant and dissipation factor. In consideration, the obtained properties make the composites promising for mechanical load-bearing, thermal management and electronics applications.