Pure Epoxy Samples Research Articles

Dielectric strength and mechanical properties of epoxy resin filled with self-propagating high-temperature synthesized Al2O3/SiC nanoparticles

In this study, the rice husk as a source of silica was used to synthesize the Al2O3/SiC composite via the self-propagation high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process. Then, the particle size of the synthesized product was reduced to the nanoscale using a planetary ball mill. Finally, different amounts (5, 10, and 15 wt.%) of Al2O3/SiC nanoparticles were incorporated into an epoxy resin in order to improve the mechanical properties and the dielectric strength of fabricated epoxy-based composites. The results indicated that the Al2O3/SiC composite was successfully synthesized by the SHS process from a mixture of the rice husk ash, Al, and carbon black powders as starting materials. The average size of the synthesized Al2O3/SiC particles decreased to 80 nm after 12-h ball milling. Also, the mechanical properties of the fabricated epoxy-based composite samples were improved with the addition of Al2O3/SiC nanoparticles in the investigated range in comparison with the pure epoxy sample. Additionally, the overall dielectric strength of the fabricated epoxy-based composites containing 5–15 wt.% of Al2O3/SiC nanoparticles was higher than that of the pure epoxy. These results were interpreted in terms of the synthesis mechanism of Al2O3/SiC composite via the SHS process, the rice husk ash structure, the interfacial bonding between the polymer chains and the surface of nanoparticles, and the insulation nature of the synthesized nanoparticles.

Enhancement of thermal and mechanical properties of novel micro-wear debris reinforced epoxy composites

Handling of machining waste called wear debris is a great challenge to the manufacturing industries. Effective ways of managing wear debris is essential for a clean and green environment. This work addresses an effective method of utilization of machining wear debris in the fabrication of polymer composites and the effect of wear debris reinforcement on the thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy composites are investigated. After the machining process, the residue called wear debris from Wire-cut Electrical Discharge Machine (WEDM) is collected and used as a reinforcement. The micro-composites are fabricated in three different filler concentrations (i.e., 2 wt%, 4 wt%, and 6 wt% of WEDM micro-particles) and their performances are compared with pure epoxy sample. The ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA) on the reinforced epoxy samples showed enhanced thermal stability than pure epoxy sample. The Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Laser Flash Apparatus were used to assess the specific heat and thermal diffusivity of the epoxy and its composites respectively. The 6 wt% WEDM microparticles reinforced epoxy composite showed 87.25% of improvement in thermal conductivity than pure epoxy. This enhancement in thermal conductivity of the epoxy composites resulted in improved heat transfer, thus making them good candidate for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and microelectronics applications. In addition, reinforced epoxy samples showed significant improvement in tensile and flexural strengths when compared to pure epoxy samples. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with EDS was used to analyse the fractured surfaces and the presence of various chemical elements in WEDM microparticles. The particle size analysis showed the size distribution of WEDM microparticles and the avg. size of WEDM microparticles measured was 0.257 μm.

Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Bamboo Fiber/Epoxy Composite Plates in Flexure

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is widely used in the construction industry for structural strengthening due to their outstanding mechanical properties. However, the production of synthetic fibers such as FRP is detrimental to the environment. Alternatively, natural fiber composite may be used as external strengthening material. This paper presents the potential of bamboo fiber composite plate (BFCP) to strengthen the reinforced concrete (RC) beams in flexure. The bamboo of species Dendrocalamus asper was used to produce the fiber and fiber-to-volume ratio was set at 2:5. The composite plate was fabricated by binding bamboo fibers with epoxy using a hand-lay-up method. The flexural and tensile strength of the BFCP was measured and all the beams were tested to failure under four-point bending test. It was found that BFCP exhibited a higher flexural and tensile strength compared to pure epoxy samples. Meanwhile, the RC beams strengthened using BFCP exhibited an increment of 10-12% in beam structural capacity compared to the un-strengthened beams. Bonding of BFCP in the flexure zone was able to divert the vertical cracks into diagonal at the edge of the composite plate. Findings from this work may serve as a useful guide to strengthen RC beams using a BFCP.

Electrical and Chemical Properties of Graphene over Composite Materials: A Technical Review

Graphene is a material that has superior mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. It has drawn the attention of many scientific researchers for this purpose. In this paper, three different types of fillers, GNPs, MWCNTs and EG reinforced epoxy nanocomposites were mainly studied. Different shear mixing speeds and shear mixing times were considered during the study of the nanocomposites with 0.1 wt% loading of the fillers. The effects of various types of fillers and different shear mixing speeds and durations on mechanical and electrical properties of the final composites were examined. The GNPs-reinforced epoxy nanocomposite was the only one that showed a 13% improvement in elastic modulus as compared to pure epoxy when the shear mixing conditions were 3000 rpm for 2 hours. The research also studied the effects of different loadings of GNPs and the addition of acetone as a solvent on the final mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of the composites (with the fixed shear mixing speed and time). The tensile strength of the composites reduced drastically when the loading of GNPs increased while the elastic modulus shows some increase with the growth in GNP loading. The study found that GNPs reinforced composites did not show the percolation threshold even with 5 wt% (with the ratio to the weight of epoxy) loading of the GNPs. The GNPs-reinforced epoxy composites showed an 116% improvement in the thermal conductivity as compared to the pure epoxy samples when the GNPs loading was 5 wt%. The results from the studied literatures also showed that the samples prepared with the addition of acetone had higher thermal diffusivity than the samples prepared without acetone.

Metal-organic frameworks filled epoxy composites: exploring new chances for low-κ polymer dielectrics

ABSTRACTHerein, a simple strategy was proposed to explore new chances for low-κ epoxy composites by adding ZIF-8 as additive. Compared with that of pure epoxy sample, the dielectric constant of the epoxy/ZIF-8 composite (0.3 wt%) was decreased to 3.45 from 4.12, the dielectric loss was decreased, the AC electrical resistivity was increased, and the water absorption was decreased from 0.41% to 0.18%. Moreover, the epoxy/ZIF-8 composites possessed improved thermal stability under air atmosphere. Motivated by these results, the ZIF-8 was identified as a promising candidate for preparing low-κ epoxy composite, which maybe get further development in the future.

Developing a new method for synthesizing amine functionalized g-C3N4 nanosheets for application as anti-corrosion nanofiller in epoxy coatings

In this research, the effect of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) on the corrosion protection performance of solvent-based epoxy coatings is investigated. The g-C3N4 is synthesized by two-step condensation of melamine and is characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and carbon–hydrogen–nitrogen elemental analysis. In order to enhance the dispersion of g-C3N4 in epoxy coating, it is chemically functionalized with ethylenediamine vapor via a simple method. Further, epoxy coatings containing different amounts (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 wt%) of amine functionalized g-C3N4 (AF g-C3N4) are spray coated on mild steel substrate. The dispersion quality of nanofillers in coating matrix is studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion resistance of samples is investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results reveal the superior corrosion protection of nanocomposite coatings due to barrier performance of AF g-C3N4. Meanwhile, epoxy coating containing 0.5 wt% AF g-C3N4 shows the highest corrosion protection compared to pure epoxy sample.

Dielectric properties of TiO2/Epoxy nanocomposites in liquid nitrogen environment

The application of superconductivity technology can solve many problems in power industry. Compared with the conventional technology, superconductivity technology has many superior properties. However, the epoxy resin material used for superconducting equipment insulation is often in liquid nitrogen environment, and the low temperature will bring many changes to the insulation properties of the epoxy resin, which brings new problems to the insulation design of the superconducting equipment. In this paper, a novel epoxy resin nanocomposite was developed. We used titanium dioxide particles with average size of 10nm and 35nm mixed with epoxy resin to obtain different doping amount of samples, and the samples were tested at room temperature and liquid nitrogen environment separately. Through experiments, it was found that the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles enhanced the breakdown strength of the epoxy resin compared to the pure epoxy samples. The breakdown strength under liquid nitrogen conditions was higher than the breakdown strength at normal temperature. The dielectric properties test showed that the dielectric constant of epoxy resin in liquid nitrogen was lower than that in room temperature, and the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles increased the dielectric constant of the epoxy resin. Dielectric loss was greatly influenced by temperature and was significantly higher than normal temperature under liquid nitrogen conditions.

Dielectric properties of MgO/Epoxy nanocomposites in liquid nitrogen environment

As the epoxy resin material of superconducting equipment is often in low temperature environment, the insulation properties of epoxy resin changes with temperature accordingly which brings new problems on insulation design of superconducting equipment. This paper studied the effect of nano-MgO particles on the dielectric properties of epoxy resin in liquid nitrogen condition. We used magnesium oxide particles with average size of 50nm and 80nm mixed with epoxy resin to obtain different doping amount of composite dielectric and prepared pure epoxy resin samples as comparison. The test results showed that the addition of nanoparticles enhanced the breakdown strength of the epoxy resin compared to the pure epoxy samples. The breakdown strength in liquid nitrogen condition was higher than the breakdown strength at normal temperature. Dielectric properties test results showed that the dielectric constant of epoxy resin in liquid nitrogen environment was lower than that at normal temperature, and the addition of nanoparticles decreased the dielectric constant of epoxy resin. The dielectric loss was greatly influenced by temperature, and it will decrease significantly in low temperature environment. The research provides important reference value for the insulation design of superconducting equipment.

Microwave-Assisted Curing of Silicon Carbide-Reinforced Epoxy Composites: Role of Dielectric Properties

In this work, the dielectric properties of epoxy-based composites are significantly improved with the help of the silicon carbide (SiC) filler at an operating frequency of 2.45 GHz to make them ideal candidates for microwave curing. The improvement is due to enhancement of the interfacial polarization because of the presence of the SiC filler. The dielectric properties are measured using the microwave cavity perturbation method. The cavity structure is simulated using the COMSOL@Multiphysics software to verify the measured data in terms of the resonant frequency. Finally, all the SiC-based composites including the neat epoxy resin are heated in the 2.45 GHz microwave oven at 300 W for 20 min. The thermal and mechanical properties of all the cured composites are measured, and the data are compared with their room temperature pre-cured counterparts. The dielectric properties of composite samples using SiC as a reinforcing agent in the epoxy are found to be substantially improved compared with those of the pure epoxy sample, which actually leads to better curing of these composite using the 2.45 GHz microwave system.

Study on the Thermal and Dielectric Properties of SrTiO3/Epoxy Nanocomposites

SrTiO3/epoxy nanocomposites are prepared using the facile solution-processing technique by incorporating SrTiO3 nanoparticles with different weight fractions into the epoxy resin host. The morphology of the nanoparticles and composites, as well as the thermal conduction characteristics and electrical properties of the composites were investigated via conventional testing methods. The thermal conductivity increased along with the SrTiO3 weight fractions, and the thermal conductivity of the SrTiO3/epoxy composite with 40 wt % weight fraction increased to 0.52 W/mK. The dielectric constant increased along with the weight fractions and decreased along with frequency, thereby suggesting that the interfacial and dipole polarization do not follow the changes in the electrical field direction at high frequency. The dielectric constants at 1 kHz frequency increased along with temperature. Surface breakdown tests illustrated further improvements in the thermal and electrical properties of the composites. In the same time span of 40 s, the 40 wt % nanocomposite demonstrated a rapid temperature decline rate of 6.77 °C/s, which was 47% faster than that of the pure epoxy sample. The surface breakdown voltage also increased along with the weight fractions. The functional composites can solve the key problem in the intelligentization, miniaturization, and high-efficiency of the gas-insulated switchgear, which warrants further research.

Influence of micron size aluminum particles on the aging properties and wear resistance of epoxy resin coatings

Abstract In this work, an unoxidized aluminum particle/epoxy composite coating was used to cover the surface of pure epoxy resin to reduce the loss of strength after water-heat aging and to improve the wear resistance. The samples were maintained in a water bath at 80°C for 100 days to accelerate the aging process. After water-heat aging, the tensile and bending strengths of the pure epoxy samples were reduced from 30 MPa and 60 MPa, respectively, to 26 MPa and 55 MPa, respectively. However, the tensile and bending strengths of the sample with 6 wt.% aluminum particles were reduced from 39 MPa and 95 MPa to 36 MPa and 89 MPa, respectively. The sample with 6 wt.% aluminum particles exhibited the lowest tensile and bending strength loss rates, 7.2% and 6.1%, respectively, which were 37.4% and 40.8% lower, respectively, than those of the pure epoxy. Additionally, the wear rate and friction coefficient of the samples with 6 wt.% aluminum particles were 2.5×10-6 cm3/min·N and 0.415, respectively, corresponding to a reduction of 35.9% and 30.0%, respectively, compared with the pure epoxy. Thus, it was found that the addition of unoxidized aluminum particles can efficiently increase the water-heat aging resistance and wear resistance of epoxy resin.

SiAlON–epoxy nanocomposite coatings: Corrosion and wear behavior

ABSTRACTIn this study, epoxy powder as a matrix was combined with different contents of silicon–aluminum–oxygen–nitrogen (SiAlON) nanoparticles using a planetary ball mill. Pure epoxy and nanocomposite powders were applied on the surface of plain carbon steel components by the electrostatic spraying method. Curing of the coatings was done in an oven or microwave for the appropriate time. The coating structure and morphology of the SiAlON nanoparticles were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The corrosion properties of the coatings were assessed by immersion, Tafel polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results show that addition of 10 wt % SiAlON nanoparticles markedly increases the corrosion resistance of epoxy coatings. Thus, it can be inferred that the corrosion rate of these coatings is 15 to 18 times lower than that of pure epoxy samples and 8 to 11 times lower than coatings with 20 wt % SiAlON. The higher corrosion resistance of nanocomposite coatings can be attributed to the barrier properties of SiAlON nanoparticles. The tribological performance of the coatings was studied with the pin‐on‐disk test. The results of wear testing show that the samples containing 10 wt % SiAlON provide about five times more wear resistance than pure ones and about two times more than coatings with 20 wt % SiAlON. However, the coefficient of friction for nanocomposite coatings is reduced about 50% compared to the pure sample. Also, the curing process in either regime (oven or microwave) has the same effect on the corrosion and wear properties, and the coatings are completely crosslinked. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43855.

Mechanical, physical and tribological characterization of nano-cellulose fibers reinforced bio-epoxy composites: An attempt to fabricate and scale the ‘Green’ composite

The development of bio-based composites is essential in order to protect the environment while enhancing energy efficiencies. In the present investigation, the plant-derived cellulose nano-fibers (CNFs)/bio-based epoxy composites were manufactured using the Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) process. More specifically, the CNFs with and without chemical modification were utilized in the composites. The curing kinetics of the prepared composites was studied using both the isothermal and dynamic Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) methods. The microstructure as well as the mechanical and tribological properties were investigated on the cured composites in order to understand the structure-property correlations of the composites. The results indicated that the manufactured composites showed improved mechanical and tribological properties when compared to the pure epoxy samples. Furthermore, the chemically modified CNFs reinforced composites outperformed the untreated composites. The surface modification of the fibers improved the curing of the resin by reducing the activation energy, and led to an improvement in the mechanical properties. The CNFs/bio-based epoxy composites form uniform tribo-layer during sliding which minimizes the direct contact between surfaces, thus reducing both the friction and wear of the composites.

Investigation of Some Magnetic and Thermal Properties of $$\hbox {Epoxy/Ni}_{0.5}\hbox {Zn}_{0.5}\hbox {Fe}_{2}\hbox {O}_{4}$$ Epoxy/Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 Composites

Nanoparticles of \(\hbox {Ni}_{0.5}\hbox {Zn}_{0.5}\hbox {Fe}_{2}\hbox {O}_{4}\) have been prepared by the co-precipitation method, and X-ray diffraction analysis has confirmed the formation of the desired ferrite. A pure epoxy sample and three samples of \(\hbox {epoxy/Ni}_{0.5}\hbox {Zn}_{0.5}\hbox {Fe}_{2}\hbox {O}_{4}\) composites have also been prepared with different ferrite percentages. These samples have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The magnetization of the composites has been investigated by using a vibrating sample magnetometer and has revealed that these composites may be promising candidates for electromagnetic interference suppression. Moreover, the thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity of epoxy and composite samples have been measured by using the photoacoustic technique, where a high enhancement of the thermal diffusivity with increasing ferrite content has been observed which can be attributed to the higher number of phonon vibrational modes as well as the longer mean free path of the ferrite nanoparticles due to their crystalline structure as compared to the amorphous structure of epoxy. Moreover, the formation of a percolated network of NiZn ferrite nanoparticles inside the epoxy may enhance the phonon conduction, increasing the value of the thermal diffusivity in the bulk of the samples. On the other hand, the almost constant values of the thermal effusivity—which is a surface property—suggest that these composites may be used not only for electromagnetic interference suppression but also for thermal shielding in electronic circuits.

Preparation and investigation of dc conductivity and relative permeability of epoxy/Li–Ni–Zn ferrite composites

Ferrite nanoparticles – having the compositions Li(x/2)(Ni0.5Zn0.5)(1−x)Fe(2+x/2)O4 (x=0, 0.2, 0.3) – have been prepared by the co-precipitation method. The prepared powders have been divided into groups and sintered at different temperatures (373K, 1074K and 1473K). X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD) for all samples has confirmed the formation of the desired ferrites with crystallite sizes within the nanoscale (<100nm). The dc conductivity, the relative permeability and the magnetization of the ferrite samples have been investigated and according to the results, the sample Li0.15(Ni0.5Zn0.5)0.7 Fe2.15O4 sintered at 1473K has been chosen to prepare the composites. The particle size of this sample has been recalculated by using JEOL JEM-100SX transmission electron microscope and it has been found about 64.7nm. Then, a pure epoxy sample and four pristine epoxy resin /Li0.15(Ni0.5Zn0.5)0.7 Fe2.15O4 composites have been prepared using different ferrite contents (20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%)wt.%. These samples have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and their dc conductivity, relative permeability and magnetization have also been investigated. The obtained results indicate that the investigated composites may be promising candidates for practical applications such as EMI suppressor and high frequency applications.

Solvent Free, Efficient, Industrially Viable, Fast Dispersion Process Based Amine Modified MWCNT Reinforced Epoxy Composites Of Superior Mechanical Properties

Dispersion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into epoxy resin is a challenging task for the process to be viable on industrial scale. Herein, amine functionalized MWCNTs (Am-MWCNTs) were reinforced into epoxy resin using industrially viable, fast, efficient, solvent free, high speed homogenizer dispersion technique. Am-MWCNTs ranging from 0.1 to 0.75% by w/w were loaded in epoxy and the effects of loading of Am-MWCNTs on mechanical properties of epoxy composites are investigated. The flexural strength of Am-MWCNTs based epoxy composites reached up to 163 MPa for 0.5 wt% MWCNTs loaded sample compared to 95 MPa for pure cured epoxy sample; an overall improvement of 72% in the flexural strength. In addition to this, the flexural modulus value reached to 3795 MPa for 0.75 wt% Am-MWCNTs loaded sample from 2250 MPa for pure epoxy sample, an improvement of 69%. The enhancement in the mechanical properties was correlated with the dynamic scanning calorimeter results, TEM and SEM images of fractured surface. The substantial improvement in the mechanical properties of the epoxy resin at such low CNT loading can open a venue for the preparation of structurally strong structures for aerospace, defence, automobile and sports industries.

Preparation of Epoxy-Organobentonite Nanocomposites Added ZnO-ZrO&lt;sub&gt;2 &lt;/sub&gt;/Al&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;-ZrO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; Nanoparticles and Investigation on their Corrosion Resistance Property in Coating on Q235 Steel

For purpose of synthesis new epoxy coatings to protect the structural steel in sea environment, in this paper, two epoxy-based nanocomposite samples containing low-loading of ZnO-ZrO2/ZrO2-Al2O3 nanoparticles and organobentonite nanoparticles were prepared. Pure epoxy sample and epoxy-based composite added organobentonite nanoparticles were also prepared for comparison. Dispersion of metal oxide particles and organobentonite nanoparticles into epoxy-composites were evaluated by using XRD analyses. Microhardness, adhesion and corrosion resistance over 91 days of immersion in artificial seawater (ASW) solution of new composites were studied by Vickers’ hardness test (HV test), cross-cut test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization curves, respectively. Results showed that combined use of low-loading fillers had a positive effect on the organobentonite exfoliation behavior in resulting epoxy-based nanocomposites. Hardness, adhesion of two novel composites increased in comparison to pure epoxy even though with epoxy-based composite added organobentonite only. Results also showed that nanoparticle fillers could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the coated steel, with ZnO-ZrO2-organobentonite fillers being the best.

Composites of Nanoporous Gold and Polymer

Experimental investigations of the strength of small objects – such as micropillars or nanowires – often point towards a trend of increasing strength with decreasing dimension,1–3 approximating the theoretical shear strength when the size drops to the lower nanometer region.1–4 The observation of theoretical strength in defect-free crystals, such as whiskers, irrespective of their size exemplifies that the trend of smaller is stronger is related to the defect structure.5–7 The interaction of dislocations with the surface is another important factor, as is evidenced by in situ observation of large recoverable flow-stress changes during interfacial charging or electrosorption.8 Irrespective of its microscopic origin, the high strength at small size suggests a search for design strategies that yield high-strength materials exploiting the mechanical properties of metal nanostructures. A key challenge, namely assembling many (1018 for 1 cm3 of material with a 10 nm structure size) nanoscale objects into a macroscopic body, can be overcome by synthesis via dealloying.9–11 The process provides millimeter- or centimeter-sized monolithic samples consisting of a homogeneous network structure of nanoscale “ligaments” with uniform size that can be controlled down to well below 10 nm.12, 14 Investigations by transmission electron microscopy, focused ion beam imaging, and electron backscatter diffraction have established that nanoporous metals prepared in this way are polycrystalline with a grain size of 10–100 μm.15, 16 Each micrometer-sized grain is nanoporous, so that neighboring ligaments share the same crystal lattice. In other words, the local structure in volumes of, say, 1 μm3, is that of a single crystal containing a contiguous nanoscale pore network. The mechanical behavior of these materials obeys scaling equations derived for foams with macroscopic porosity, and the local strength of the ligaments follows the same3, 17–19 or similar16, 20 trends as individual nanowires. The material, and in particular nanoporous gold (npg), has thus been studied as a model system for size-effects on the plasticity of nanostructures.

Synthesis and characterisation of ion-implanted epoxy composites for X-ray shielding

The epoxy samples were implanted with heavy ions such as tungsten (W), gold (Au) and lead (Pb) to investigate the attenuation characteristics of these composites. Near-surface composition depth profiling of ion-implanted epoxy systems was studied using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS). The effect of implanted ions on the X-ray attenuation was studied with a general diagnostic X-ray machine with X-ray tube voltages from 40 to 100kV at constant exposure 10mAs. Results show that the threshold of implanted ions above which X-ray mass attenuation coefficient, μm of the ion-implanted epoxy composite is distinguishably higher than the μm of the pure epoxy sample is different for W, Au and Pb.

Modeling the response, strength and degradation of 3D woven composites subjected to high rate loading

Experimental results which were obtained using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) apparatus to determine rate dependent effects, and reported by the authors in [1] are used as the basis to perform dynamic simulations of 3D woven composites (3DWCs) using representative unit cells (RUCs). The input material properties for the RUC simulations were determined from the concentric cylinder model (CCM) in conjunction with the geometry of the textile architecture, mechanical properties of pure epoxy samples and fiber mechanical properties. The RUC model incorporates rate dependent plasticity. Additionally, linear-eigen perturbations that correspond to buckling modes are used to seed imperfections in the RUC model to capture buckling and subsequent failure that was observed in experiments. The RUC model results showed good agreement with experiment and correctly captured the observed modes of failure while pointing to transitions in failure modes.