Mechanical and erosive wear performances of natural bamboo fibers/SiO2/epoxy ternary composites

Abstract

Using natural bamboo fibers (BFs) and nano-SiO2 particles together can produce a certain synergistic effects, which may have a better toughening and strengthening effects than using any one of them separately. This study aims to investigate the effect of natural BFs and nano-SiO2 particles on the mechanical, physical characteristics and erosive wear performances of the BFs/SiO2/epoxy-based ternary composites. The samples were characterized using mechanical and physical testing, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and modified abrasive water jet device. The results showed that the fracture toughness and impact strength of polymer composites were significantly improved; this could be attributed to the excellent strengthening and toughening effects of the natural BFs and nano-silica particles. Additionally, the presence of the natural BFs and nano-SiO2 particles were found not only influence the toughness of the epoxy resin but also the absorptions of the kinetic energy of impact abrasive particles. It was observed that the maximum depth of the pit left on the composite was decreased when the BFs and SiO2 were added. As a result, the BFs/SiO2/epoxy-based ternary composites have improved mechanical and erosive wear properties, especially when the content of natural BFs is 15 wt% and modified nano-scale SiO2 is 3 wt%.