Study of nanoparticle reinforcement mechanisms in epoxy nanocomposites

Nanocomposites offer tremendous potential to provide multi-functional property enhancement of engineering composites with modest weight gain and may potentially be produced with current processing methods. Although significant progress has been made to develop and characterize these systems, fundamental understanding of the reinforcement mechanism of nanomaterials is still lacking. We have proposed that the presence of the MWCNT network facilitates stress redistribution within the resin-rich region of epoxy composites. The MWCNTs shield internal defects in the epoxy matrix from growing to a critical size for unstable fracture, thereby allowing synergistic interaction with secondary particles. Relegating the reinforcement mechanism of MWCNTs to facilitate stress redistribution rather than load transfer provides important insight into the mechanical behavior of ternary composites and may help guide future efforts regarding integration of CNTs into structural composites.

Study of nanoparticle reinforcement mechanisms in epoxy nanocomposites Conference Paper