Low Velocity Impact and Creep-Strain Behaviour of Vinyl Ester Matrix Nanocomposites Based on Layered Silicate

A I Alateyah,B Aldousiri,Z Y Zhang,H N Dhakal

doi:10.1155/2014/541096

A I Alateyah, B Aldousiri + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/541096

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Abstract

The impact properties of neat vinyl ester and the nanocomposites were performed using a low velocity impact testing. The addition of layered silicate into the polymer matrix shows that an optimum range of nanoclay reinforcement in the vinyl ester matrix can produce enhanced load bearing and energy absorption capability compared to the neat matrix. In addition, the amount of microvoids in the nanocomposites structure influences the overall properties. Likewise, the influence of the clay addition into the neat polymer on the creep relaxation behaviour at 25°C and 60°C was studied. In both cases, the presence of the layered silicate remarkably improved the creep behaviour. The improvement of these properties can be assigned to the stiff fillers and the configurational linkage between the polymer and the layered silicate which are supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterisations by showing a distinct change in surface morphology associated with improved impact toughness and creep response.

Highlights

Polymer materials are widely used in different research and industrial fields, owing to their advantageous properties such as light weight and manufacturing simplicity
The reduction of d-spacing of 5 wt.% may be attributed to the high viscosity of the mixture where insufficient mixing might have taken place, so agglomeration layers were observed in the nanocomposite structure
With the addition of only small amounts of clay, the impact and creep relaxation behaviours were remarkably increased compared to the neat polymer

Summary

Introduction

Polymer materials are widely used in different research and industrial fields, owing to their advantageous properties such as light weight and manufacturing simplicity. Certain of the polymer properties are inadequate unless they are enhanced through incorporation of fillers and various reinforcements leading to the formation of composite or nanocomposite materials [1]. For that reason and to overcome these downsides, suitable additives are utilised in a host of pristine polymers in order to improve their properties [2]. Polymers with various additives have been successfully reinforced to improve their properties, such as mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties [3, 4]. The presence of the particulate fillers often results in undesirable properties, such as brittleness and opacity. The dispersion of the additive into the polymer is not homogenous [5]

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