Novel glass fibre reinforced hierarchical composites with improved interfacial, mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties developed using cellulose microcrystals

Shama Parveen,Subramani Pichandi,Parikshit Goswami,Sohel Rana

doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108448

Shama Parveen, Subramani Pichandi + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108448

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Abstract

This paper reports the use of cellulose microcrystals (CMCs) for improving fibre-matrix interface, mechanical, dynamic mechanical and thermal degradation behaviour of glass fibre reinforced epoxy composites. An ultrasonic treatment for 1 h was used to disperse CMCs (1–3 wt%) within an epoxy resin, which was subsequently infused through glass fabrics to develop hierarchical composites containing both macro and micro-scale reinforcements. It was observed that CMC dispersion in the epoxy resin was homogeneous at 1 wt% CMC and further increase in CMC concentrations led to linear increase in both agglomerate size and total agglomerated area. Addition of 1 wt% CMC to the composite matrix drastically changed the glass fibre-epoxy interface and led to a maximum improvement of 65% in interlaminar shear strength, 14% in tensile strength, 76% in flexural strength, 111% and 119% in fracture energy in tensile and flexural modes, 9.4% in impact strength, 13.5% in storage modulus, 21.9% in loss modulus and 13 °C in the glass transition temperature of composites. Therefore, the use of CMCs could be an industrially viable, economical and eco-friendly approach of developing hierarchical glass fibre composites with considerably improved performance.

Highlights

The history of fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) dates back to the work started in the USA in 1940s
This paper reports the use of cellulose microcrystals (CMCs) for improving fibre-matrix interface, mechanical, dynamic mechanical and thermal degradation behaviour of glass fibre reinforced epoxy composites
To solve this major issue, many approaches have been reported till date including: use of 3D fabrics, stitching of different layers of 2D fabrics, fibre surface modification, single polymer composites, etc

Summary

Introduction

The history of fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) dates back to the work started in the USA in 1940s. FRPs, in which high strength fibres are incorporated within polymeric matrices, show unique properties that are not achievable by either component [1]. Delamination occurs due to poor adhesion between fibres and matrices originating from the difference in their chemical and physical properties. To solve this major issue, many approaches have been reported till date including: use of 3D fabrics (in which different layers are inherently stitched together to avoid delamination), stitching of different layers of 2D fabrics, fibre surface modification (to improve fibrematrix compatibility), single polymer composites (in which fibres and matrices are made from the same polymer), etc. Each of the above methods has their own merits and demerits when their performance, cost as well as environmental impacts are taken into consideration

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