Clay Nanoparticles Research Articles

On the mechanical properties and vibrational characteristics of the nanoparticle-reinforced composite cylindrical panels in the acidic environment: Numerical and experimental investigation

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of nano-clay and nano-silica particles on the vibrational characteristics of composite cylindrical panels in corrosive environments. In this context, due to the presence of diluted sulfuric acid as the corrosive solution, the coupling effects of material degradation and hygroscopic loading on the natural frequencies are taken into consideration. In order to achieve this, it is first explored through experiment how adding nanoparticles affects the coefficient of hygroscopic expansion of the glass/epoxy specimens. Using this coefficient, the in-plane loading caused by corrosive solution is then applied in the equations. The mechanical properties and hygroscopic expansion coefficients of the composite samples exposed to the corrosive environment are first determined by certain experimental testing. The equations of motion are derived using the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), and the vibration problem is solved using the generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) technique. Investigation is conducted into the effects of various nanoparticles, immersion time, geometrical elements, and boundary conditions on the natural frequencies of the cylindrical panels. It is found that adding nanoparticles can significantly improve the mechanical properties, the corrosion resistance, and the natural frequencies of composites in which the nano-clay is more effective. For example, adding nano-clay and nano-silica particles, respectively, results in 32.32% and 26.29% increase in elasticity modulus of reinforced glass/epoxy composite. In addition, 12.71% and 47.32% improvements are observed in the natural frequency of the nano-clay reinforced composite panel before and after 90 days of immersion in sulfuric acid. In comparison, the nano-silica particles are responsible for 7.80% and 23.03% increase in natural frequency before and after immersion time.

Exploring the Influence of Chemical Conditions on Nanoparticle Graphene Oxide Adsorption onto Clay Minerals.

High concentrations of graphene oxide (GO), a nanoparticle substance with rapid manufacturing development, have the ability to penetrate the soil surface down to the mineral-rich subsurface layers. The destiny and distribution of such an unusual sort of nanomaterial in the environment must therefore be fully understood. However, the way the chemistry of solutions impacts GO nanoparticle adsorption on clay minerals is still unclear. Here, the adsorption of GO on clay minerals (e.g., bentonite and kaolinite) was tested under various chemical conditions (e.g., GO concentration, soil pH, and cation valence). Non-linear Langmuir and Freundlich models have been applied to describe the adsorption isotherm by comparing the amount of adsorbed GO nanoparticle to the concentration at the equilibrium of the solution. Our results showed fondness for GO in bentonite and kaolinite under similar conditions, but the GO nanoparticle adsorption with bentonite was superior to kaolinite, mainly due to its higher surface area and surface charge. We also found that increasing the ionic strength and decreasing the pH increased the adsorption of GO nanoparticles to bentonite and kaolinite, mainly due to the interaction between these clay minerals and GO nanoparticles' surface oxygen functional groups. Experimental data fit well to the non-linear pseudo-second-order kinetic model of Freundlich. The model of the Freundlich isotherm was more fitting at a lower pH and higher ionic strength in the bentonite soil while the lowest R2 value of the Freundlich model was recorded at a higher pH and lower ionic strength in the kaolinite soil. These results improve our understanding of GO behavior in soils by revealing environmental factors influencing GO nanoparticle movement and transmission towards groundwater.

Leaching of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn from different solid wastes: Effects of adding adsorbents and using different leaching solutions

The leaching of potentially toxic elements from different industrial solid wastes (ISWs) must be understood to manage the environmental concerns they pose. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of clay mineral (bentonite) and nanoparticle (MgO) on potentially toxic elements (Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn) leaching in some ISWs, when they leached with different leaching solutions. The highest amount of Zn and Ni was leached from ceramic factory waste (CFW) and stone cutting wastes (SCW), respectively, while the highest amount of Cr was leached from leather factory waste (LFW). In ISWs, the leaching percentage of Cu, Ni, and Zn were up to 11.2%, whereas the greatest leaching percentage of Cr was 26.7% of the total content. The addition of bentonite and MgO decreased potentially toxic element leaching. The results of effluents speciation of SFW indicated that at the beginning of leaching with CaCl2, nitric acid, and citric acid, 75.1%, 84.1%, and 39.6% of Cr were in different forms of Cr (III), respectively, while at the end of leaching the percentage of Cr (III) species were decreased and Cr (VI) species were increased to 83.6%, 88.4%, and 93.4%, respectively. The addition of bentonite and especially MgO to the ISWs reduced the leaching of potentially toxic elements as well as reduced the percentage of Cr (VI) in the effluents of SFW. The findings suggested that bentonite has the potential to be a low-cost and environmentally acceptable adsorbent for minimizing the leaching of Cr and other potentially toxic elements from ISWs.

Effect of corrosive environment on mechanical properties of polymer-based nanocomposite: Analytical and experimental study

The aim of this research is to investigate the critical buckling force of a sandwich structure with the addition of nanoparticles to composite faces in an acidic environment. The effect of adding 3 wt% silica and clay nanoparticles in fabrication of composite is compared in mechanical properties and sandwich buckling; And the critical buckling load is obtained by using low order piecewise shear deformation theory (PSDT). In the experimental study, significant degradation is observed after acid immersion, and the addition of 3 wt% nanoclay shows better performance by improving the durability of the structure against changes in the length and mass of the composite specimens. It is shown that the prediction of buckling is a function of mechanical properties, mass absorption, and βacid in acidic immersion, and to determine the buckling response, the mass absorption diagram of the layers, needs to be available. The results imply that the addition of nanoparticles changes the buckling behavior of the sandwich structure, such that the sandwich with silica faces requires more mass absorption than other sandwiches for buckling, however, this composite face have a faster mass absorption rate, which makes their buckling response almost the same as other sandwiches. However the sandwich with the face containing 3 wt% nanoclay still performs better in improving the buckling of the sandwich plate. The findings of the study indicate that immersion in 5% sulfuric acid for 30 days significantly reduced the critical buckling force of composite sandwiches by 63.81–82.25% under simply supported boundary conditions and 29.44–38.97% under clamped boundary conditions. To develop the LOPSDT theory, Ritz method was applied to for clamped sandwich, witch results have been shown very good agreement in validation with the ANSYS solution.

Effects of nanoparticles on the mechanical and thermal behavior of fiber reinforced polymer composites – A review

Composite materials have a long track record of success. A lot of work is always being done to improve the use of composite materials because they are now a significant concern for the scientific community on a global scale. For Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite materials, epoxy resin has recently proven to be a good choice for building high-performance polymeric composites. Up till now, a range of nano fillers comprised of carbon nanotubes and graphene nano-platelets, clay and oxide nanoparticles have been employed to improve mechanical characteristics. The impact of nanoparticles (heat-resistant fillers like graphene, silicon carbide, and aluminum oxide) regarding the structural and morphological behavior of epoxy composites will be studied as a result of the extensive development and research in this sector. This work intends to investigate the outcomes and findings of previous Mechanical and thermal properties on composite materials. There is also a discussion of the properties evaluation of the various composite laminates. The study's findings could lead to the design and fabrication of a material with superior mechanical properties, which would fundamentally alter how composite materials are used.

Nanoparticle-Based Adjuvants and Delivery Systems for Modern Vaccines.

Ever since the development of the first vaccine, vaccination has had the great impact on global health, leading to the decrease in the burden of numerous infectious diseases. However, there is a constant need to improve existing vaccines and develop new vaccination strategies and vaccine platforms that induce a broader immune response compared to traditional vaccines. Modern vaccines tend to rely on certain nanotechnology platforms but are still expected to be readily available and easy for large-scale manufacturing and to induce a durable immune response. In this review, we present an overview of the most promising nanoadjuvants and nanoparticulate delivery systems and discuss their benefits from tehchnological and immunological standpoints as well as their objective drawbacks and possible side effects. The presented nano alums, silica and clay nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, adenoviral-vectored systems, adeno-associated viral vectors, vesicular stomatitis viral vectors, lentiviral vectors, virus-like particles (including bacteriophage-based ones) and virosomes indicate that vaccine developers can now choose different adjuvants and/or delivery systems as per the requirement, specific to combatting different infectious diseases.

Impacts of nano-clay particles and heat-treating on out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue characteristics in piston aluminum-silicon alloys

Abstract. In this article, the effect of nano-clay particles and heat-treating on thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviors and failures of piston aluminum-silicon (AlSi) alloys was investigated. For this purpose, thermo-mechanical fatigue tests were conducted under out-of-phase (OP) loading conditions. Two loading conditions were checked based on different maximum temperatures (250, 300, and 350 °C) and various thermo-mechanical loading factors (100, 125, and 150%). The minimum temperature was constant in all tests at 50 °C under a heating/cooling rate of 10 °C/s and a dwell time of 5 s. Results showed that the nano-composites had a longer fatigue lifetime, at least 2 times higher, compared to the Al alloy, when the maximum temperature was 250 °C and the thermo-mechanical loading factor was 100%. However, no effective change was seen for the stress value and the plastic strain. At higher maximum temperatures, the change in the material behavior was lower. The fracture analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that both materials had a brittle behavior due to cleavage and quasi-cleavage marks. The damage mechanism was also due to the Si-rich phase and intermetallics, respectively for the crack propagation and the micro-crack initiation.

Phase separation patterned films of natural materials: Preparation of mixed monolayers of nanocellulose integrates and organo‐modified nanoclays

AbstractMixed monolayers of cellulose acetate and organo‐modified montmorillonite were prepared on a water surface, and their morphologies and structures were evaluated. Cellulose acetate exhibited an integrated morphology of cellulose nanofibers. A mixed monolayer of nanocellulose and organo‐modified montmorillonite was found to be a phase‐separated system in the surface pressure‐area isotherm analysis. The surface morphology of the mixed film formed a patterned surface in which clay nanoparticles and nanofibers coexisted. As the cellulose acetate ratio in the mixed film increased, the size of the clay nanoparticles decreased. The surface free energy of the mixed film was intermediate between those of the two components; however, it showed the most hydrophilic characteristic by being wettable by water. The layered structure of the mixed films showed a longer spacing value than that of the organo‐modified nanoclay film, indicating a change in orientation. In contrast, the in‐plane order was amorphous, and no improvement in periodicity or crystallinity was observed even after annealing. In addition, the clay part of the phase‐separated film exhibited selective molecular adsorption ability, and it was possible to form adsorbent patterns.

Organo-Bentonite-Coated Interfaces: Interfacial Properties and Cyclic Response

The accumulation of amphiphilic molecules, nanoparticles, or microorganisms at interfaces has important implications for multiphase flow in porous media. We optimize the composition of stable organo-bentonite suspensions to enhance particle adsorption onto the oil–water interface. Then, we use the pendant drop method to explore time-dependent effects on surface tension and the consequences of contraction–expansion cycles. Brownian motion brings organo-bentonite particles to the oil–water interface where they adsorb and accumulate to reduce the apparent interfacial tension in time. The adsorption energy of platy organo-bentonite particles is significantly higher than the adsorption energy of spherical nanoparticles of the same volume. Then, a shell-like interface develops after particle jamming during droplet contraction, and further contraction leads to shell buckling and wrinkle formation (rather than desorption). The shell-like interface experiences an anisotropic stress field and cannot be described by the Young–Laplace equation. The evolution of interfacial tension during contraction and expansion shows strong hysteresis; furthermore, the results suggest that the number of adsorbed particles at the interface increases with the number of cycles. Natural clay nanoparticles can facilitate the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives for field-scale applications.

Bilayer PVA composite film with structural color for high-performance and multifunctional sensing

Intelligent E-skins attract lots of attention for their potential in health monitoring, human-computer interaction, and soft-body robotics. In this work, a colorful multifunctional E-skin sensor with a Janus structure was constructed by solution casting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with clay and carbon nanoparticles on a patterned PDMS template. The halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and carbon nanoparticles (C) derived from Chinese ink were introduced into PVA to obtain a nano-reinforced layer (top) with structural color and multi-functional layer (bottom) for detection of pressure, temperature, and humidity. Uniformly dispersed HNTs greatly improves the mechanical properties of PVA (up to 46.8 MPa at 303.9% strain). The difference in water absorption of the two layers provides excellent sensitivity to humidity, so it can be used as contactless password unlocking, closing and blooming of bionic flowers, and humidity alarm. The device can achieve object capture and release within 12 s by turning on and off the xenon light. Furthermore, the sensor responds distinctly to pressure and can track human activities such as drinking motion and finger bending, which can also detect the temperature by resistance change. This work provides a materials design strategy for E-skin aimed to applications in robotics, artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and health monitoring.

Coupled thermal stress and moisture absorption in modified a montmorillonite/copolymer nanocomposite: Experimental study

N-Dimethylhexadecyclamine (DMHDA+) montmorillonite (Mt) random copolymer polypropylene (CPP-R) nanocomposites (AmK10CPP-R) are increasingly used in industrial applications such as coating subsea pipelines because they have excellent thermomechanical and barrier properties in front of two coupled properties of moisture adsorption and thermal loading. The coupled properties are experimentally investigated at temperature levels of 298 K and 370 K and water content of 0.0% wt. and 100% wt at 1.0 atm. for three different weight fractions (wt. %) of 0.3%, 3%, and 4% of the nanoparticles. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), static tensile tests, and dynamic material tensile analysis (DMTA) are conducted on the test samples. XRD pattern of nanofiller shows that using loading content less than 1% wt cannot provide a good basal spacing of nano fillers. The nanocomposite sample with major quantity of clay (4%AmK10CPP-R) presented less clusters of clay dispersed by FE-SEM. DSC indicates that glass transition temperature of 3% AmK10CPP-R is the highest value among all samples and melting temperature of all samples does not change. Moreover, it is observed that the diffusion coefficient of the saturated 4% wt. modified clay random copolymer (4AmAMoisK10CPP-R) is decreased almost 79.4% in comparison with 0.3AmMoisK10CPP-R sample at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, thermal analysis shows that temperature and loss of the mass at first stage are the lowest values for 4%AmMoisK10CPP-R. However, thermal stability of the saturated sample is increased in the second stage of TGA/DTG. It is seen that the clay nanoparticle can significantly hinder the degradation of mechanical properties of the nanocomposite even when both temperature and water content increase. Stress-strain curve gives that 3% and 4% wt. modified clay in the polymer matrix can significantly increase the mechanical properties of the polymer. Finally, DMTA determines that the 3%AmAMoisK10CPP-R gives the highest elastic modules. This study finds that mechanical, thermal and rheological properties of the polymer nanocomposite improve and the best compatibilising effect is at a content 3 wt% of the modified clay.

Optimization of Machining Parameters of Natural/Glass Fiber with Nanoclay Polymer Composite Using Response Surface Methodology

Machining processes are one of the most important finishing operations in the fabrication of composites, which contain natural fibers. However, it is difficult to attain a better fishing on the final components. Hence, an attempt has been made in the work to achieve a good surface finish in compression-molded hybrid fiber composites containing nanoclay particles by optimizing the milling parameters. Experiments were conducted by using Box–Behnken design (response surface methodology (RSM)) to optimize the milling process parameters such as spindle speed (16, 24, and 32 rpm), feed rate (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mm/rev.), and depth of cut (1, 1.5, 2 mm) along with different vol% of nanoclay content (3%, 6%, and 9%). The surface roughness of machined fiber composite was measured, and the most influential parameters were analyzed by analysis of variance, evaluation of signal-to-noise ratio, and mathematical models of responses were developed by RSM. The experimental results (A2B1C4D3) indicated that the feed rate is one of the most significant parameters, followed by nanoclay content, depth of cut, and spindle speed. Surface roughness was found to decrease continuously (2.18–2.08 µm) with increasing nanoclay content (up to 6%) at a certain limit and further addition of clay content (above 6%); the results were declined (2.42 µm) for the same levels of other parameters.

Improvement of the corrosion resistance of acrylic electrocoating in the presence of acid-modified montmorillonite nano clay

This study presents a novel approach to enhance the corrosion resistance of acrylic electrocoating by incorporating acid-modified montmorillonite nano clay particles at varying concentrations (0.0–0.5 wt%) into the coating matrix. The nanostructure and laminar shape of the nano clay particles were confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). XRD and FE-SEM/EDS analyses revealed successful modification of the nano clay and its uniform dispersion in the electrocoating film. The effect of the nano clay on the rheology of the coating was also investigated using rheometric methods. The anti-corrosion properties of the nanocomposite coatings were evaluated using salt spray and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS results showed that the nanocomposite electrocoating containing 0.3 wt% of acid-modified montmorillonite nano clay exhibited remarkable improvement in anti-corrosion properties and corrosion resistance, with an impedance value of up to 10 Gohm after 21 days of immersion in NaCl 3.5 wt%.

Nanoclay role in improving compression after impact strength of the carbon/epoxy composites

Polymer matrix composites are vulnerable to low-velocity impact, although they have found many applications in high-tech industries. The main objective of this study is to improve compression after impact strength of the carbon/epoxy composites using nanoclay particles. All test samples were fabricated using a vacuum infusion process. The solution blending methodology was applied for better dispersion of the nanoparticles in the resin. The low-velocity impact response of the composite and nanocomposite laminates was investigated at various energy levels of 10, 15, and 20 J. To quantify the impact effect, the residual strength of the impacted specimens was experimentally measured under the compression test. In addition, the effect of nanoclay incorporation through the solution blending methodology on damage mechanisms was determined by the radiographic analyses and optical microscope method. The findings of this research showed a rise, up to 25.15% in the residual compressive strength, and a 7-fold increase in local buckling threshold stress of the carbon/epoxy/nanoclay specimens.

Cellulose acetate/nanoclay composite membranes with enhanced mechanical properties and improved permeance in gas separation

AbstractDiethyl ether is a valuable chemical product in petrochemical industry used in different applications. In diethyl ether (DEE) production by the dehydration of ethanol (EtOH), the products from DEE production are commonly mixed with EtOH and the % yield of DEE generally has not exceeded 60%. This contribution describes the preparation and performance of hollow fiber membranes for the separation of gaseous product (DEE) and reactant (EtOH). Cellulose acetate (CA)/nanoclay (NC)‐based hollow fiber composite membranes were prepared using a wet spinning process of CA solution and the addition of hydrophilic NC particles to improve the mechanical properties and permeability. According to the findings, the 20 wt% CA/0.5 wt% NC hollow fiber showed the higher mechanical strength than the 20 wt% CA hollow fiber without NC. Moreover, the 20 wt% CA hollow fiber without NC provided EtOH and DEE permeances of 8.44 × 10−11 and 4.25 × 10−10 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1, respectively, while the 20 wt% CA/0.5 wt% NC hollow fiber showed higher EtOH and DEE permeances of 6.50 × 10−10 and 8.49 × 10−9 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 plausibly because of the higher porosity based on the SEM images. Furthermore, both CA hollow fiber membranes were selective for DEE over EtOH and were more selective with the addition of NC.

A comprehensive investigation of the low-velocity impact response of enhanced GFRP composites with single and hybrid loading of various types of nanoparticles

This study investigates the effects of incorporating various types of nanoparticles, both singularly and in hybrid form, on the low-velocity impact (LVI) response of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. GFRP composites were fabricated using the hand lay-up method and different weight percentages (wt. %) of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), clay, TiO2, and CuO nanoparticles were added into the matrix of composites. To test the LVI response, 14 types of specimens were fabricated with single and hybrid nanoparticle loadings, and LVI tests were conducted using 5 and 10-cm span dimensions at two levels of subjected energy. The experimental results reveal that specimens with a single loading of MWCNT or nano-clay have a lower maximum contact force compared to pure specimens with fully rebounding behavior. This indicates that neither 5 nor 10 cm spans result in severe damages during the impact tests. Furthermore, incorporating more MWCNTs results in stiffer behavior and more brittleness. The study also explores the synergetic effect of adding hybrid nanoparticles in the fabricated composites and discusses the calculated results for absorbed energy. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images are analyzed to evaluate the enhancement mechanisms resulting from the addition of nanoparticles to GFRP composite specimens.

Nonlinear Viscoelasticity and Toughening Mechanisms in Nanoclay-PNIPAAm Double Network Hydrogels.

We investigate the mechanical properties of a magnetic temperature-sensitive hydrogel at varying concentrations of covalent and physical cross-linking. The hydrogel consists of covalently cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), physically interacting nanoclay particles, and magnetic ferric oxide nanoparticles. The physical nanoclay network exhibits strong viscoplastic behavior, and we find that increasing nanoclay content improves both strength and toughness in the double network materials. We investigate the behavior of the gels using a nonlinear viscoplasticity model with a modified rule of mixtures approach and attribute the observed trends to two factors: (a) the yield-stress behavior of the nanoclay network and (b) load-sharing interactions between the PNIPAAm and the nanoclay. Our findings indicate a strong correlation between the mass ratio of covalent cross-linker used and fractional percolation of the PNIPAAm network.

Remediation of Methylene Blue Dye from Wastewater by Using Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Loaded on Nanoclay

Dyes are one of the major environmental pollutants throughout the world, leading to pollution and numerous diseases. Though several techniques have been applied for the remediation of dyes, most of them are ineffective. The authors developed a halloysite clay/zinc oxide nanocomposite (HC/ZnONC) via a chemical route in the present study. The nanocomposite and its constituents, i.e., raw halloysite clay (HC) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) (synthesized using the same chemical method) were analyzed for their detailed properties by sophisticated instruments. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis showed spherical-shaped ZnONPs with an average size of 54.9 nm and tube-like shapes of HC with a diameter ranging from 40–200 nm and a length at the micron scale, while the nanocomposite had incorporated ZnONPs in their tube-like structures. Ultraviolet-Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopic (UV-DRS) study revealed the photocatalytic ability of the nanocomposite with a band of 3.08 eV. A high surface area of 60.25 m2/g and the microporous and mesoporous nature of the nanocomposite were confirmed by the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. Finally, the developed nanocomposite was used for the remediation of methylene blue from the aqueous solutions, and the efficiency of removal varied from 90 to 97%.

Grafting red clay with Bi2O3 nanoparticles into epoxy resin for gamma-ray shielding applications

We developed new composites for photons shielding applications. The composite were prepared with epoxy resin, red clay and bismuth oxide nanoparticles (Bi2O3 NPs). In order to establish which ratio of red clay to Bi2O3 NPs provides the best shielding capabilities, several different ratios of red clay to Bi2O3 NPs were tested. The transmission factor (TF) was calculated for two different thicknesses of each sample. From the TF data, we found that epoxy resin materials have a high attenuation capacity at low energy. For ERB-10 sample (40%Epoxy + 50% Red clay + 10% Bi2O3 NPs), the TF values are 52.3% and 14.3% for thicknesses of 0.5 and 1.5 cm (at 0.06 MeV). The composite which contains the maximum amount of Bi2O3 nanoparticles (40%Epoxy + 50% Red clay + 10% Bi2O3 NPs, coded as ERB-30) has lower TF than the other composites. The TF data demonstrated that ERB-30 is capable of producing more effective attenuation from gamma rays. We also determined the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) for the prepared composites and we found that the LAC increases for a given energy in proportion to the Bi2O3 NPs ratio. For the ERB-0 (free Bi2O3 NPs), the LAC at 0.662 MeV is 0.143 cm−1, and it increases to 0.805 cm−1 when 10% of Bi2O3 NPs is added to the epoxy resin composite. The half value layer (HVL) results showed that the thickness necessary to shield that photons to its half intensity can be significantly lowered by increasing the weight fraction of the Bi2O3 NPs in the epoxy resin composite from 0 to 30%. The HVL for ERB-20 and ERB-30 were compared with other materials such as (Epoxy as a matrix material and Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO and ZrO2 as filler oxides in the matrix at 0.662 MeV. The HVL values for ERB-20 and ERB-30 are 4.385 and 3.988 cm and this is lower than all the selected epoxy polymers.

Effects of Silica/Clay Nanoparticles on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Based Adhesives

Improving the mechanical properties of the epoxy-based adhesives with nanoparticles is one of the methods which justifies the use of adhesive joints significantly. This work studies the strength of adhesively bonded single-lap joints (SLJs) considering the pure adhesive, the reinforced adhesive with nano-silica particles (NSPs), nano-clay particles (NCPs), and a combination of both nano particles. Uniaxial tensile testing of the SLJs was conducted to reveal the failure loads of the joints and their elongations at failure. Furthermore, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Analyses were used to investigate dispersion quality. It was observed that the use of just 1 wt.% NCPs or 2 wt.% NSPs improve the failure load significantly whereas the combination of both particles generally leads to large agglomerations. It is also concluded that the dispersion quality is a key to improve the strength by shifting the failure mechanism from adhesion to cohesion type.